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LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

OF 

HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

BY  HIS  SON 

VINCENT  Y.  BOWDITCH 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES 

VOL.  I 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY 


1902 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERS"  TFORNIA 

D  .•  k 


COPYRIGHT   1902  BY  VINCENT  Y.  BOWDITCH 
ALL   RIGHTS   RESERVED 

Published  December,  igoa 


TO  THE  MEMORY  OP  MY 

MOTHER 

THE  THOUGHT  OF  WHOM  WHILE  WRITING  THESE  PAGES 
HAS  BEEN  MY  CONSTANT  INSPIRATION 

THIS  BOOK  IS 
REVERENTLY  DEDICATED 


PREFACE 

MY  reason  for  giving  the  following  history  of  my 
father's  life  is  twofold. 

There  is  so  much  of  historical  and  political  inter 
est  in  the  many  manuscripts  found  after  his  death, 
that  it  has  seemed  to  his  children  a  duty  to  place 
them  before  the  public,  in  the  hope  that,  while  read 
ing  vivid  accounts  of  the  personal  experience  of  an 
active  Abolitionist  in  the  great  anti-slavery  contest, 
some  may  possibly  be  brought  into  closer  touch  with 
the  great  events  of  our  nation's  history  before  the 
civil  war. 

I  have  thought  it  well,  moreover,  to  publish  ex 
tracts  from  his  private  correspondence  and  journals, 
in  order  to  give  as  far  as  possible  the  record  of  a 
life  the  true  beauty  of  which  could  scarcely  have 
been  known  except  to  the  very  nearest. 

To  the  friends  who  have  aided  me  in  the  work, 
and  especially  for  the  wise  and  kindly  counsel  of 
Mr.  Francis  J.  Garrison,  I  wish  to  express  my  deep 
sense  of  gratitude. 

If  the  book  shall  prove  a  help  or  an  inspiration 
to  those  who  did  not  know  my  father,  I  shall  feel 


vi  PREFACE 

that  the  work  done  in  the  hours  of  rare  leisure  has 
not  been  in  vain.  A  long-cherished  wish  will  then 
have  been  realized. 

V.  Y.  B. 

606  BEACON  STREET, 
July  7, 1902. 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.  LIFE  IN  SALEM      .        .        .     „       .  .        .       .      1 

II.  LIFE  IN  EUROPE         .        •        •        •        .  •        .        15 

III.  LIFE  IN  EUROPE  (CONTINUED)      .        .  .        .        .52 

IV.  RETURN  TO  AMERICA  —  MARRIAGE  .  .        .        83 
V.  THE  GARRISON  MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE  .        .        .98 

VI.  CONNECTION  WITH  THE  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL  .      112 

VII.  THE  LATIMER  CASE 133 

VIII.  DR.  THAYER'S    REMINISCENCES  —  LETTERS   AND  EX 
TRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL       ....        .        .  142 

IX.  THE  TORREY  AND  THE  HANNUM-PEARSON  EPISODES 

—  LETTERS  —  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  .        .        .  172 
X.  WILLIAM  AND  ELLEN  CRAFT'S  ESCAPE  —  SHADRACH'S 

RESCUE  —  RENDITION  OF  SIMS  —  LETTERS       .        .  202 

XI.  PARACENTESIS 230 

XII.  LIFE  AT  WESTON  —  THE  WHITTIER  SUN-DIAL  .        .  236 

XIII.  LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL         .        .      248 

XIV.  THE  RENDITION  OF   BURNS  —  LETTERS  FROM  WHIT- 

TIER  —  THE  "  ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE  "  .        .      263 
XV.  VOYAGE   DOWN    THE  PENOBSCOT  —  TRIP  TO  APPLE- 

DORE        .        .        .        ...        ....      284 

XVI.  TRIP  TO  EUROPE  .       ...       .  .        .310 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Henry  Ingersoll  Bowditch.     (Mt.  85.)     From  a  daguerreotype 

Frontispiece 

House  in  Essex  Street  next  the  "  Old  Witch  House"  in  Salem,  Mass., 
now  the  home  of  Judge  Osgood,  and  in  which  Henry  I.  Bowditch 
lived  when  a  child,  from  1811  to  1828,  .  .  .  V  .  2 

Old  garden  in  the  rear  of  the  Essex  Street  house,  showing  the  "  Old 
North  Church,"  Salem,  Mass. 8 

Henry  I.  Bowditch.  (jEt.  25.)  From  a  miniature  painted  by 
Daubigny  in  Paris  in  1833  .  ...  .  .  .  .62 

The  house  of  Nathaniel  Bowditch  and.  afterwards  of  Henry  I.  Bow- 
ditch  at  8  Otis  Place  (now  Winihrop  Square}  in  Boston,  Mass.  .  98 

Library  of  Nathaniel  Bowditch  at  8  Otis  Place,  showing  the  mathe 
matical  globes,  library  table,  and  a  copy  of  the  "Mecanique  Celeste  "  112 

"  Brookside,"  at  Weston,  Mass.  From  a  pencil  drawing  made  by 
Olivia  Bowditch  .  .  ........  238 

The  Whittier  Sun-Dial.  From  a  pen  and  ink  drawing  by  Miss 
S.  J.  F.  Johnston  .  246 


LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE  OP  HENRY 
INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 


CHAPTER  I 

LIFE    IN   SALEM 

HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH  was  born  in  Salem, 
Massachusetts,  August  9,  1808.  He  was  the  third  son  of 
Nathaniel  Bowditch,  the  celebrated  mathematician,  and 
Mary  Ingersoll,  his  wife. 

Although  not  an  assured  fact,  it  is  supposed  that  he 
was  born  in  the  house  at  the  rear  of  14  Brown  Street, 
where  his  father  at  one  time  resided ;  but  his  boyhood, 
from  the  age  of  three,  was  passed  in  the  house  still  stand 
ing  on  Essex  Street,  next  to  the  "  Old  Witch  House,"  and 
owned  now  by  Judge  Osgood. 

In  after  years  it  was  his  delight  occasionally  to  visit 
the  old  homestead,  which  changed  but  little,  and  to  re 
count  to  his  children,  nieces,  and  nephews  the  numerous 
delightful  reminiscences  of  a  happy  childhood,  surrounded 
by  the  sweet  influences  of  the  most  loving  parents,  brothers, 
and  sisters. 

To  those  who  had  the  privilege  of  visiting  his  boyhood's 
haunts  with  him  in  later  years,  there  was  an  inexpressible 
pleasure  in  listening  to  the  stories  of  an  era  that  is  now 
but  a  thing  of  the  past.  Even  the  old  town  pump,  which 
formerly  stood  at  the  head  of  Summer  Street  opposite  his 


2  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

house,  but  long  since  gone,  had  its  tinge  of  romance,  as 
my  father  used  affectionately  to  speak  of  it  as  the  spot 
near  which  many  a  mud  pie  had  been  made,  and  where 
many  a  gutter  dam  had  held  in  check  the  miniature  floods 
which  came  from  the  old  spout.  The  old  garden  at  the 
back  of  the  house,  with  its  "  box-lined  "  paths  and  its 
"  Seckel "  pear-tree,  the  dark  passageway  in  the  house, 
through  which  the  children  used  to  scamper  to  escape 
the  "  Bogies,"  both  had  fascinations  of  their  own  as  he 
spoke  of  them  and  their  hallowed  associations. 

There  was  an  aroma  about  these  tales  that  gave  his 
listeners  the  same  delightful  sense  that  one  feels  now  in 
stepping  into  an  old  house  filled  with  memories  of  the 
past,  and  in  imagination  notices  the  odor  of  rose  leaves 
and  lavender  preserved  in  china  jars,  the  relics  of  a 
time  when  Salem  was  mistress  of  the  East  India  trade, 
and  her  wharves,  now  rotting  away  unused,  were  busy  with 
the  loading  and  unloading  of  many  a  noble  vessel  owned 
by  the  old  and  respected  families  whose  names  are  still 
synonymous  with  honor  and  integrity. 

For  us  of  later  generations  it  is  a  little  difficult  to  real 
ize  how  utterly  different  were  the  manners  and  customs  of 
a  town  like  Salem,  eighty  years  or  more  ago,  from  those 
of  the  present  day.  The  stern  puritanical  observance  of 
Sunday  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  last  century  was  a  theme 
often  touched  upon  by  my  father.  His  father  held,  for 
those  days,  perhaps,  rather  liberal  views,  and  allowed  cer 
tain  liberties  to  his  children,  always  tempered,  however, 
by  the  fine  trait  of  respect  for  the  feelings  of  others.  His 
mother,  a  woman  of  great  piety  without  a  trace  of  sanc 
timoniousness,  and  for  whom  my  father  always  felt  the 
deepest  love  and  reverence,  had  been  brought  up  in  a 
stricter  school ;  and  out  of  respect  to  her  no  walks  except 
to  and  from  church  on  Sundays  were  ever  indulged  in, 
and  a  very  quiet,  not  to  say  dull  day,  with  occasional 


THE  HOME  IN  ESSEX  STREET,  SALEM,  MASS. 


LIFE  IN  SALEM  3 

readings  from  the  Bible,  was  the  usual  rule.  As  a  special 
privilege,  however,  on  Sunday  afternoons  the  children 
were  allowed  to  retreat  to  a  room  in  the  L  of  the  house 
and  pelt  each  other  with  dried  rose  leaves,  collected  there 
in  heaps  by  a  faithful  attendant,  an  excellent  but  some 
what  austere  spinster,  Miss  Dowse  by  name. 

Doubtless,  judging  by  frequent  evidences  of  exuberance 
of  spirits  in  later  years,  an  immense  deal  of  pent-up 
"  steam  "  must  have  been  "  let  off "  in  that  attic  room, 
the  good  effects  of  which  were  probably  recognized  by  a 
wise  father. 

It  is  doubtful  if  equal  leniency  would  have  been  shown 
for  certain  other  escapades,  such  as  shooting  beans  from 
the  window  over  the  front  door  down  upon  the  heads  of 
the  unsuspecting  and  more  fortunate  companions  who 
were  allowed  greater  freedom  on  Sunday  afternoons  ;  but 
it  is  easy  to  imagine  the  delicious  sense  of  satisfaction 
there  must  have  been  in  thus  giving  vent  by  possibly  not 
strictly  legitimate  methods  to  bottled-up  animal  spirits. 

Certain  it  is,  however,  that  with  the  teachings  of  both 
parents  my  father  imbibed  that  deeply  religious  sense 
which  was  so  intense  a  part  of  his  nature  even  when, 
as  a  young  man,  he  went  through  the  torturing  doubts 
which  usually  come  to  every  strong  nature.  At  his  mother's 
knee  he  learned  the  beautiful  prayer  which  all  through 
his  life  seemed  to  give  him  strength  and  courage,  and 
to  which  he  continually  alludes  in  his  letters  in  after 
years.  Many  of  the  Psalms  of  David  were  a  constant 
source  of  delight,  and  he  never  wearied  of  repeating  to 
those  he  loved  the  beautiful  one  beginning  "The  Lord 
is  my  Shepherd,  I  shall  not  want." 

His  children  still  have  the  old  pocket  Bible  given  him, 
when  a  boy  of  ten,  by  his  mother,  who  was  then  thought 
to  be  on  her  deathbed.  An  old  faded  flower  lies  pressed 
between  its  leaves,  picked  when,  as  a  student  in  1833, 


4  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

previous  to  his  return  to  America,  he  was  walking  through 
Scotland;  a  copy  of  Burns,  whose  poetry  he  loved,  es 
pecially  those  poems  addressed  to  his  "  Sweet  Highland 
Mary,"  filling  another  pocket. 

On  the  margin,  near  the  flower,  is  written,  "  Plucked 
near  '  Allan  Water '  and  placed  in  my  mother's  Bible, 
never  to  be  taken  from  it.  H.  I.  B.  in  1833."  This 
Bible  was  his  constant  companion  on  every  journey  there 
after  ;  and  when  he  was  away  with  his  children  during 
a  vacation,  whether  camping  on  the  shores  of  some  beau 
tiful  Adirondack  lake  or  floating  down  the  Penobscot  in 
an  Indian  canoe,  or  when  enjoying  the  beauties  of  the 
Old  World,  it  was  not  an  unfrequent  occurrence  for  him, 
on  quiet  Sunday  mornings,  to  take  the  book  from  his 
pocket  and  read  some  favorite  chapter  or  verse  to  his 
companions  with  a  feeling  and  tenderness  which  no  one 
who  heard  him  could  ever  forget. 

With  all  this  religious  feeling  was  combined  an  intense 
love  of  nature  and  the  keenest  delight  in  fun  and  frolic. 
As  a  boy,  evidently,  there  was  no  lack  of  love  of  mischief, 
although  never  of  a  vicious  kind,  and  no  one  was  quicker 
than  he  to  make  reparation  if  he  felt  he  had  wronged 
or  hurt  another.  He  used  to  tell,  occasionally,  with  a 
twinkle  of  the  eye,  of  the  impish  delight  which  he  and 
two  or  three  small  companions  felt  in  startling  an  old 
dame,  Miss  Hannah  Harris  by  name,  the  proprietress  of 
a  small  shop,  by  putting  firecrackers  in  a  pitcher  on  her 
counter  while  distracting  her  attention,  and  through  the 
shop  window  watching  the  old  lady's  consternation  as 
the  firecrackers,  connected  by  a  long  fuse,  suddenly  ex 
ploded.  It  was  "so  funny"  to  see  her  jump!  The 
thought  of  this  deed,  however,  pricked  the  boy's  tender 
conscience  for  many  a  year,  and  later  in  life,  when  return 
ing  to  Salem,  he  entered  the  shop  and  apologized  to  the 
old  lady  for  his  boyish  escapade.  "  La !  sir,  I  knew  you 


LIFE  IN  SALEM  5 

did  n't  mean  any  harm,"  was  the  old  dame's  kindly  reply, 
and  my  father  never  forgot  it  as  an  instance  of  keen 
insight  into  human  nature. 

There  were  stories,  too,  of  more  warlike  character, 
of  fights  between  the  "Towners"  and  the  "North 
Fielders  "  who  lived  across  the  river,  and  the  "  Naugus 
Holers," 1  residents  near  the  brewery  which  formerly  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  present  railroad  station.  My  father  al 
luded  to  himself  as  being  usually  one  of  the  "  screamers  " 
on  the  outskirts  of  these  contests,  and  not  an  active  par 
ticipant;  for  although  never  wanting  in  manly  courage 
when  occasion  required  it,  these  scenes  were  not  to  the 
lad's  taste. 

He  often  told  of  an  incident  of  boyish  bravado  as  a 

1  "  Knocker's  Holers  ?  "  For  the  explanation  of  this  term  I  am 
indebted  to  the  Hon.  Robert  S.  Rantoul,  president  of  the  Essex 
Institute  at  Salem,  who  writes  as  follows  :  — 

SALEM,  MASS.,  September  21, 1901. 

I  never  heard  of  "  Naugus  Holers."  There  is  a  headland,  form 
ing  the  southerly  side  of  Salem  Harbor,  known  as  "  Naugus  Head." 
For  some  years  we  thought  the  name  might  be  Indian  in  its  origin, 
and  we  associated  Naugus  with  Saugus,  like  Naugatuck  and  Sauga- 
tuck  on  Long  Island  Sound.  But  this  pretty  theory  was  exploded 
by  the  discovery  of  a  map,  a  couple  of  centuries  old,  from  which 
it  appeared  that  the  headland  belonged  to  one  Noggs,  and  we  now 
suppose  the  name  to  be  a  corruption  of  "  Noggs's  Head." 

This  has,  as  I  conceive,  nothing  to  do  with  your  question. 

There  was  a  place  directly  opposite  the  present  railroad  station  on 
its  western  side,  where  shipbuilding  was  extensively  pursued  in  the 
early  days.  The  present  Creek  Street,  debouching  on  the  side  of 
the  station,  marks  the  spot.  This  has  always  been  known  as 
"  Knocker's  Hole,"  and  the  boys  who  issued  forth  on  their  disorderly 
raids  from  this  section  were  known  in  old  times  and,  doubtless,  as 
late  as  your  father's  time,  by  the  designation  of  "Knocker's 
Holers." 

I  suppose  the  name  "Knocker's  Hole"  was  suggested  by  the 
incessant  pounding  of  ship-carpenters  in  this  low  creek. 


6  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

curious  illustration  of  how  an  old  custom  can  be  kept 
up  even  when  stripped  entirely  of  its  original  signifi 
cance. 

On  "  Guy  Fawkes  Day,"  the  5th  of  November,  he  and 
several  other  boys,  armed  with  sticks  doubtless  pilfered 
from  a  neighboring  woodpile  were  stamping  along  the 
streets  and  vociferating,  — 

"  Oh,  don't  you  remember  the  fifth  of  November 
When  Gunpowder  Treason  was  plot  ? 
And  this  is  the  reason  that  Gunpowder  Treason 
Should  never  be  forgot," 

when  suddenly  he  felt  his  shoulder  seized  by  a  stout  official, 
and  they  were  summarily  marched  to  the  door  of  the  Town 
House,  and  there  told  to  put  down  their  sticks  and  not  to 
allow  themselves  to  be  seen  there  again,  under  penalty  of 
a  worse  punishment.  Naturally  they  felt  aggrieved  and 
insulted,  and  considered  that  their  rights  as  loyal  boys  had 
been  trampled  upon,  for  was  it  not  right  still  to  sing  of 
Guy  Fawkes  and  his  wicked  plot  ? 

The  boy's  loyalty  and  love  of  country  were  easily  stirred. 
With  what  enthusiasm  he  and  his  companions  used  to  look 
at  the  old,  weather-beaten  privateer  America  as  she  lay 
at  rest  by  what  was  then  called  Crowninshields'  Wharf, 
after  many  a  victory  over  the  English  cruisers  in  the  War 
of  1812.  Shorn  of  all  her  warlike  paraphernalia,  the  old 
vessel  was  regarded  with  reverence  by  the  boys  of  that 
day,  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  young  patriots  even  the  water 
in  which  she  lay  seemed  honored  by  her  presence.  How 
the  boy's  heart  thrilled,  too,  when  he  was  taken  to  a 
reception  given  to  Commodore  Perry,  the  hero  of  Lake 
Erie,  and  his  cheek  was  pinched  by  the  great  man  ! 

The  grand  old  vessel  and  the  brave  commander  were 
numbered  among  the  things  of  the  past  many  years  ago, 
but  the  boyish  enthusiasm  which  they  inspired  had  its 


LIFE  IN  SALEM  7 

share,  doubtless,  in  the  development  of  the  ardent  spirit  of 
patriotism,  which  was  a  marked  feature  of  my  father's 
character  in  after  life. 

Hints  were  given,  too,  of  tenderer  feelings  in  the  stories 
he  told  of  well-timed  walks  to  Marblehead  ponds  to  gather 
handfuls  of  lilies,  and  of  the  special  care  taken  to  arrive, 
as  it  were  by  chance,  in  front  of  the  building  where  Salem's 
select  dancing  classes  were  held,  just  as  a  bevy  of  bright- 
eyed  young  girls  were  coming  from  the  door. 

Mention  was  made,  too,  of  a  trio  of  sisters  famed  for 
their  loveliness  of  face  and  character,  who  were  adored 
by  all  the  youth  of  Salem  sixty  or  more  years  ago.  One 
of  them,  a  very  old  lady,  the  wife  of  one  of  Salem's  most 
respected  citizens,  died  not  many  years  since ;  and  the 
same  grace  and  sweetness  of  character  lasted  to  the  end  of 
her  life,  and  made  it  easy  for  the  younger  generations  to 
understand  how  glad  the  boys  in  earlier  days  were  to  let 
her  outrun  them  in  the  games  on  Judge  Putnam's  farm, 
and  how  she,  by  some  mysterious  influence,  was  always 
found  first  in  "  hide  and  seek,"  while  others  less  attractive 
were  allowed  to  remain  hidden  longer. 

The  only  regret  that  my  father  ever  expressed,  when 
speaking  of  his  childhood,  was  the  fact  that  he  was  never 
permitted  to  indulge  his  great  love  for  music.  His  father, 
when  a  youth,  had  spent  and,  as  he  thought,  wasted  a 
good  deal  of  time  with  idle  companions  in  learning  to  play 
the  flute,  but  soon  concluded  to  give  it  up  entirely,  and 
in  after  life  would  seldom,  if  ever,  allow  his  children  to 
have  music  in  the  house,  a  decision  which  my  father  al 
ways  felt  to  be  a  mistake  on  his  father's  part.  In  every 
other  way  his  home  was  a  most  happy  one,  and  many 
charming  instances  were  given  that  showed  the  perfect 
harmony  of  the  family  circle. 

His  father  had  a  method  of  giving  "  rewards  of  merit  " 
by  making,  with  the  point  of  his  pen,  miniature  constella- 


8  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

tions  in  ink  on  the  hands  of  his  children,  the  Big  and 
Little  Bear  or  Orion  appearing  most  often.  A  special 
form  of  approbation  for  exceptionally  good  conduct  was 
shown  by  an  infinitesimal  ink  spot  on  the  end  of  the 
nose,  and  hardly  discernible  to  the  casual  observer,  but 
the  mother  always  saw  it.  Small  promissory  notes  for  one 
or  two  cents,  made  from  small  paper  disks  with  scalloped 
edges,  and  payable  in  the  event  of  good  behavior,  were 
carefully  preserved  by  my  father  as  relics  of  his  childhood, 
and  as  proofs  of  his  father's  desire  to  inculcate  a  spirit  of 
thrift  among  his  children. 

One  of  the  favorite  expeditions  of  the  children  was  to 
the  little  house  in  which  their  father  had  spent  his  early  life 
in  Danvers,  or  what  is  now  Peabody,  and  they  never  wearied 
of  hearing  him  tell  how  he  got  his  first  knowledge  of  the 
stars  through  the  little  window  at  which  his  mother  used 
to  stand,  with  him  in  her  arms,  watching  the  new  moon 
as  it  sank  in  the  west,  while  she  rattled  a  few  pennies  in 
her  pocket  as  a  sign  of  good  luck  "  for  her  husband  away 
at  sea."  The  house  still  stands  on  Central  Street,  close 
by  the  principal  "  square  "  of  Peabody,  the  bustling  mod 
ern  town  which  has  replaced  the  quiet  rural  spot  of  those 
days. 

During  the  years  preceding  my  father's  removal  to  Bos 
ton,  he  attended  the  Salem  Private  Grammar  School  on 
Green  Street,  under  the  charge  of  Master  Benjamin  Tap. 
pan.  It  was  pleasantly  located  midway  between  Chest 
nut  and  Green  streets,  but  it  was  long  ago  removed  and 
altered  into  a  dwelling-house. 

In  the  edition  of  March  28,  1885,  the  Salem  "  Ob 
server  "  prints  the  programme  of  "  An  Old-Time  Exhibi 
tion,"  and  gives  the  names  of  several,  in  later  years,  well- 
known  men,  —  Benjamin  Peirce,  the  great  mathematician, 
Henry  Wheatland,  Henry  W.  Pickering,  and  others,  then 
boys,  who  took  part  in  the  exhibition.  Among  them,  my 


LIFE  IN  SALEM  9 

father's  name  appears  three  times,  twice  in  recitations  and 
once  in  a  Latin  dialogue.  This  must  have  occurred  when 
he  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age. 

In  a  short  comment  upon  a  copy  of  the  newspaper  sent 
to  him  about  the  time  of  its  publication  in  1885,  he  gives 
some  interesting  details,  which  I  cannot  do  better  than 
quote. 

Our  cypherer,  Ben  Peirce,  with  his  huge  slate 
too  large  to  be  put  in  his  desk  and,  consequently, 
always  kept  outside,  not  very  free  from  dust  either, 
but  covered  with  figures  .  .  .  the  embryo  Mathe 
matician  and  Author  showing  early  his  tendencies. 
A  dear,  kindly  fellow  as  he  always  was  during  life 
to  me.  .  .  . 

But  of  the  teachers,  I  have  visions.  Awe-ful 
are  my  recollections  of  Abiel  Chandler,  with  his  oak 
ferrule  made  with  a  rounded  circle  at  its  end  of  solid 
oak,  just  fit  to  play  into  the  hand  of  the  unfortunate 
urchin  who  had  neglected  his  lesson  or,  from  any 
cause,  had  not  learned  and  had  thereby  incurred 
"  old  Chandler's  "  ire.  How  we  pitied  "  Dick  Jenks  " 
every  day  ! 

The  horror  of  such  tyranny  finally  drove  the  older 
boys  into  open  rebellion  and  then  to  make  an  appeal 
to  tbe  Committee,  after  a  duly  appointed  procession 
near  the  schoolhouse  had  been  inaugurated  with  all 
due  ceremony.  A  banner  was  extemporized,  with 
these  flaming  words,  "  Up,  Liberty  !  Down,  Oppres 
sion  !  "  The  Committee  rebuked  us,  the  rebels,  but 
"  Abiel "  had,  soon  after,  a  call  to  enter  into  business 
in  Boston.  ...  A  most  lucky  change  of  employ 
ment,  as  we  thought,  for  all  future  boys.  .  .  . 


10  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

I  must  mention  also  some  other  methods  of 
punishment  used  in  a  school  kept  by  women.  I  had 
my  lip  pricked  by  one  teacher  instead  of  my  tongue 
which  she  ordered  me  to  put  out,  because  I  had  been 
talking,  and  she  meant  to  punish  the  unruly  member. 
As  I  saw  the  needle  descending,  I  summarily  drew 
back  my  tongue  and  the  needle  entered  my  lip.  Of 
course,  I  roared  aloud,  and,  of  course,  I  ran  home 
and  complained  most  bitterly,  and  was  delighted  to 
have  the  caresses  of  my  loving  mother  and  to  watch 
the  indignation  of  my  father,  which  doubtless  I  in 
creased  by  my  tears.  That  punishment  was  never 
tried  again. 

In  1823  my  grandfather  moved  to  Boston  to  accept  the 
position  of  Actuary  of  the  Massachusetts  Hospital  Life 
Insurance  Company.  He  selected  for  his  home  the  house, 
no  longer  standing,  in  what  was  then  called  Otis  Place, 
now  Otis  Street,  the  land  upon  which  the  house  formerly 
stood  being  now  Winthrop  Square,  at  the  junction  of 
Devonshire  and  Otis  streets,  in  the  heart  of  the  present 
business  portion  of  Boston.  A  charming  picture  of  this 
old  Boston  house  exists,  with  many  others  of  similar  char 
acter,  in  the  "  Curtis  Collection  "  of  photographs  which 
are  preserved  in  the  exhibition  rooms  of  the  Bostonian 
Society  in  the  Old  State  House. 

It  is  hard  to  imagine  that  this  homelike,  peaceful  look 
ing  house,  shadowed  by  the  branches  of  a  large  elm  on  a 
neighboring  estate,  could  ever  have  stood  where  now  the 
noise  and  rush  of  hundreds  of  heavily  laden  carts  and 
drays  mark  the  centre  of  a  great  city.  In  this  house  my 
father  passed  much  of  his  life,  previous  to  its  demolition  by 
the  city  in  1858,  when  the  pressure  of  business  demanded 
a  larger  thoroughfare  from  Summer  to  Franklin  Street. 


LIFE  IN  SALEM  11 

It  was  a  hallowed  spot  to  him  always.  The  family  con 
sisted  of  the  father  and  the  invalid  mother,  already  begin 
ning  to  show  the  signs  of  pulmonary  disease  which  several 
years  later  proved  fatal ;  four  boys,  Nathaniel,  Ingersoll, 
Henry,  and  William  ;  two  girls,  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  and 
an  older  cousin,  Miss  Elizabeth  Martin,  always  known  to 
the  younger  generation  as  "  Aunt  Libby,"  the  faithful  com 
panion  of  many  years,  and  cherished  to  a  green  old  age 
by  her  grateful  family.  The  home  was  one  which  seemed 
to  be  filled  with  sunshine  for  all  who  entered  it,  and  my 
father  often  spoke  of  its  influence  upon  his  own  life. 

Immediately  following  the  removal  of  the  family  to 
Boston,  my  father  entered  the  Public  Latin  School,  then 
in  School  Street,  and  two  years  later  (1825)  he  entered 
Harvard  College  as  a  Sophomore,  being  then  seventeen 
years  of  age.  The  only  facts  which  throw  any  light  upon 
his  collegiate  course  are  found  in  a  series  of  "  Forensics  " 
and  "  Themes,"  composed  chiefly  in  his  Junior  and  Senior 
years,  and  in  an  old  diary  which  was  found  after  his  death. 
In  none  of  these  do  we  find  any  special  evidences  of  the 
strength  of  character  and  intellectual  power  which  he 
showed  in  after  years  ;  on  the  contrary,  some  of  the  com 
positions,  although  usually  neatly  written,  are  amusingly 
immature  in  thought,  and  at  times  show  the  not  infrequent 
tendency  of  youthful  minds  toward  a  supposed  comprehen 
sive  knowledge  of  life  and  the  universe  generally,  some 
what  startling  at  first,  to  the  more  mature  reader,  and 
interesting  to  the  composer  himself  in  after  years,  when 
experience  has  taught  him  to  recognize  his  own  limitations. 

The  following  notes,  made  on  the  covers  of  some  of  the 
"  Forensics "  and  "  Themes,"  are  amusing.  On  one, 
"  Trials  of  having  a  Part  as  a  College  Exercise.  Ye  who 
seek  College  Honors,  Behold  what  a  Bore  a  Part  is  ! 
Oh,  Crikey !  April  29,  1828."  "  A  Study  of  Literature 
as  an  Exercise  of  Intellectual  Power  !  Ten  Copies  made 


12  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

during  the  Process  !  "  On  another  "  Ideas  seemed  to  flow 
Hard  ; "  and  again,  "  The  Deuce  take  the  Subject  and  the 
Theme  also  !  June  27th,  1828."  FinaUy,  his  disgust  at 
the  theme  and  his  own  views  as  expressed  in  it  culminate 
in  a  vehemently  written,  "  All  a  Lie  !  " 

The  diary  was  begun  in  January,  1827,  and  finished 
January,  1828.  It  reveals  nothing  of  special  interest,  ex 
cept  occasional  glimpses  of  the  life  at  Harvard  at  that  time, 
and  of  his  visits  to  the  city.  In  those  days  the  students 
usually  walked  to  and  from  the  city,  even  a  stage  being 
then  considered  a  luxury  !  It  will  hardly  be  thought  a 
breach  of  confidence  if  the  opening  sentences  of  the  diary 
are  quoted.  My  father  himself,  in  later  years,  upon  read 
ing  the  utterances  of  the  young  sage,  doubtless  laughed, 
and  they  serve  at  least  by  contrast  to  show  his  develop 
ment  in  after  years. 

Reflections  on  the  Return  of  New  Year's  Day. 
With  the  return  of  this  day  my  thoughts  are  carried 
back  to  the  earliest  days  of  childhood,  when  all  was 
joy.  I  am  reminded  of  the  days  that  are  gone  and 
of  the  many  kind  friends  who  have  passed  into  the 
tomb.  Memory  carries  me  back,  and  I  seem  to  see 
Aunt  White  offering  me  the  New  Year's  present  as 
the  child  of  the  companion  of  her  youth.  And  can 
it  be  that  these  seeming  images  are  all  the  creations 
of  my  own  imagination  ?  Surely  never  was  there  a 
better  woman  than  this.  .  .  .  The  mild  and  pleasant 
Miss  Ropes  sleeps  side  by  side  with  her  friend. 
Lovely  and  virtuous  were  they  both  in  life.  In  death 
they  were  not  divided.  .  .  .  There  is  something 
peculiarly  pleasing  in  early  and  long  continued  friend 
ship.  In  our  youth  we  are  more  open  and  ingenu- 


LIFE  IN  SALEM  13 

ous  than  in  our  later  years.  We  lay  cpen  our  whole 
heart  to  the  friends  of  our  youth,  whereas  this  seldom 
happens  with  respect  to  the  acquaintances  of  our  later 
years.  Ita  finitum  est  meum  squirtum,  and  there 
fore  I  will  begin. 

In  the  diary  appears,  neatly  written,  as  an  early  proof 
of  his  indefatigable  industry  with  his  pen,  a  copy  of  the 
five  books  of  a  Homeresque  poem  entitled  "  The  Rebel- 
Had,"  descriptive  of  a  rebellion  among  the  students  about 
that  time. 

March  25,  Sunday. 

Dr.  Ware  preached  one  of  his  dry  sermons.  It 
put  me  in  mind  of  spinning  glass,  where  out  of  a 
little  piece  they  spin  several  thousand  yards. 

I  am  really  nervous  this  evening,  for  there  is  a 
rascally  little  mouse  gnawing  on  the  wainscot  just 
beside  my  ear.  I  have  resigned  myself  to  my  fate, 
after  having  disfigured  the  wall  most  terribly  by 
kicking  and  pounding,  but  why  should  I  be  mad ; 
on  the  contrary,  why  should  I  not  rejoice  that  he  is 
thus  able  to  enjoy  himself ;  or  at  least  why  should 
I  not  hear  with  the  indifference  of  a  philosopher  ? 
But,  ah  !  there  he  is  at  it  again  harder  than  ever. 
I  must  stop  my  squirt.  .  .  . 

Later,  the  record  of  a  "  Dialogue  in  Latin  "  with  a 
classmate  gives  evidence  that  he  was  not  lacking  in  this 
particular  form  of  scholarship. 

Previous  to  his  graduation  from  college  in  1828,  my 
father  had  shown  no  special  taste  nor  talent  which  would 
lead  him  to  choose  the  practice  of  medicine  for  his  life 
work.  In  after  years,  when  his  love  and  enthusiasm  for 


14  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

his  profession  were  unbounded,  he  frequently  alluded  to 
his  reasons  for  adopting  it.  He  felt  himself  quite  unfit 
for  the  study  of  law  or  the  ministry,  and  the  life  of  a 
business  man  was  most  uncongenial  to  him.  With  a 
feeling  of  doubt,  almost  of  indifference,  not  unmixed  with 
repugnance  towards  some  of  the  elementary  work  neces 
sary  to  all  who  study  medicine,  he  entered  the  Harvard 
Medical  School.  He  often  spoke  of  his  sudden  change 
of  feeling  when,  after  the  sense  of  loathing  at  the  idea  of 
"  cutting  up  a  dead  body,"  the  demonstrator  of  anatomy 
showed  to  him,  in  a  dissection,  the  wonderful  arrangement 
of  the  muscles  of  the  forearm.  His  chief  instructor  was 
Dr.  James  Jackson,  a  noble  man,  a  wise  and  conscientious 
physician  and  excellent  teacher,  who  in  those  days  stood 
at  the  head  of  his  profession  in  Boston.  Later  he  was 
under  his  guidance  as  interne  at  the  Massachusetts  Gen 
eral  Hospital,  and  in  the  spring  of  1832,  through  the 
kindness  of  a  generous  father,  was  enabled  to  go  abroad 
to  pursue  his  medical  studies.  Accordingly,  on  the  first  of 
May  of  that  year,  he  sailed  from  New  York  to  Havre  in 
the  sailing  packet  Ehone. 


CHAPTER  II 

LIFE  IN  EUROPE 

TO   HIS   SISTER  MARY. 

PARIS,  June  17, 1832. 

I  WILL  commence  again  the  history  that  my  jour 
nal  gives  of  my  adventures,  and  which  has  been 
interrupted  by  my  thinking  that  it  could  not  be  very 
pleasant  to  you  to  follow  me  in  the  flights  of  my 
imagination.  In  truth,  during  the  voyage,  the 
spirit  of  romance  seemed  to  have  taken  possession  of 
me.  I  did  not  read  a  single  novel  in  which  I  did 
not  discover  some  resemblance  between  the  situa 
tion  of  the  hero  and  that  of  myself.  The  heroines 
I  could  find  all  in  Boston,  and  you  and  your  friends 
came  up  often  in  my  recollections  under  the  sem 
blance  of  the  sedate  and  womanly  beauty  of  a  north 
ern  clime  or  that  of  the  smiling  and  dancing  maids 
of  Grenada.  But  let  us  resume  our  story. 

May  25th. 

At  9.30  A.  M.  our  eyes  were  first  greeted  with 
the  sight  of  the  «  Land's  End  "  of  Old  England.  I 
was  not  in  ecstasies,  as  I  had  anticipated  I  should 
be,  for  I  was  compelled  to  strain  my  eyes  in  order 
to  obtain  a  fair  view  of  it.  "  Fair  !  "  En  verite,  it 
could  hardly  be  called  fair  by  a  landsman,  for  it 


16  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

looked  like  a  mist  on  the  edge  of  the  far-off  horizon. 
I  had  heard  of  the  high  bluffs  of  England,  and  had 
longed  to  catch  even  a  glimpse  of  them,  and  I  was 
now  sadly  disappointed.  During  breakfast  we  were 
boarded  by  a  sturdy  old  pilot  from  the  "  Downs  " 
(what  associations  did  the  name  of  this  place  excite 
in  me  !)  who  left  us  a  paper  aged  one  month ;  told 
us  many  lies,  and  was  quizzed  in  return  by  some  of 
the  Yankees  on  board.  He  told  us  the  cholera  was 
raging  very  badly  in  Paris,  much  to  the  conster 
nation  of  my  good  friends  on  board.  Not  many 
evenings  since  I  was  much  amused  and  pleasantly 
surprised  to  hear  the  song  commencing  with  the  well- 
known  words  "  I  give  thee  all,  I  can  no  more,  though 
poor  the  offering  be."  The  tune  to  which  these 
were  sung  and  the  tones  of  the  voice  were  far 
sweeter  than  those  I  had  been  accustomed  to,  but 
still  I  was  pleasantly  reminded  by  the  comparison 
of  the  home  I  had  left.  ...  I  have  just  left  the 
ladies'  cabin,  where  I  have  been  hearing  sweet 
music  for  an  hour.  If  the  reader  will  take  the 
trouble  to  look  at  the  commencement  of  Horace's 
"  Satires,"  he  will  find  some  sentiment  like  this ; 
viz.,  that  singers  are  perpetually  humming  when 
their  notes  are  not  wished  for,  but  on  being  re 
quested  to  do  so,  immediately  begin  to  make  ex 
cuses.  Such  has  been  the  case  this  evening.  We 
have  many  fine  singers  with  us,  but  at  this  hour, 
10  P.  M.,  they  are  exceedingly  troubled  with  colds. 
One  poor  lady,  I  really  pity  her,  has  had  a  cold  ever 
since  she  came  on  board,  and  moreover  it  has  been 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  17 

daily  increasing,  and  yet  the  voice  in  speaking  re 
mains  unaltered. 

But,  my  dear  Mary,  I  will  cease  my  extracts 
henceforth,  and  will  confine  myself  to  answering 
your  letters  and  giving  in  general  terms  the  account 
of  my  travels.  ...  I  wish  you  would  keep  a  journal 
and  tell  me  by  every  packet  what  you  have  seen, 
how  many  calls  you  have  made,  what  the  girls  say, 
and  how  they  do,  etc.  At  any  rate,  don't  forget, 

H. 

P.  S.  Give  my  love  to  Mother  and  tell  her  to 
write  as  often  as  she  can,  and  that  she  ought  to 
have  written  francs  instead  of  sous  when  speaking 
of  my  miniature,  and  then  perhaps  it  could  be  ob 
tained.  But  good-night ;  the  clock  is  just  on  the 
point  of  striking  12.  I  am  very  sleepy. 

The  following  letter  of  introduction  from  Mr.  George 
Ticknor  to  Alexander  von  Humboldt  is  interesting  in 
showing  the  respect  felt  for  the  translator  of  La  Place's 
work  by  an  eminent  man  of  Boston ;  it  also  shows  the 
character  of  my  father's  introduction  into  the  scientific 
society  of  Paris,  a  privilege  not  often  accorded  to  so 
young  a  man  in  those  days  :  — 

BOSTON,  April  24,  1832. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  I  have  the  honour  to  send  you  the  second 
volume  of  the  translation  and  commentary  on  La  Place's 
"  Mecanique  Celeste,"  by  my  countryman,  Dr.  Bowditch ; 
—  and  I  beg  leave  to  ask  your  notice  and  that  of  your 
scientifick  friends  of  the  Institute  for  it,  as  a  work  which 
marks  the  extent  to  which  the  abstract  sciences  have 
been  carried  in  this  country.  We  can  show  nothing  be 
yond  it. 


18  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

This  volume  will  be  given  to  you  by  the  son  of  Dr. 
Bowditch,  a  young  gentleman  of  talents  and  disposition 
which  not  only  make  him  very  interesting  to  his  friends, 
but  promise  to  render  him  very  valuable  to  the  commu 
nity.  He  goes  to  Paris  in  order  to  study  Medicine,  and 
I  venture  to  commend  him  to  your  kindness  as  one  every 
way  worthy  of  it. 

With  the  most  respectful  consideration, 

Your  friend  and  servant, 

GEO  :  TICKNOR. 
M.  DE  HUMBOLDT. 

In  Paris  he  entered  the  Ecole  de  Medecine,  and  came 
almost  immediately  under  the  influence  of  the  great 
medical  teachers  of  that  day,  Chaumel,  Andral,  and  Louis. 
For  nearly  two  years  he  walked  the  wards  of  "  La  Pitie  " 
with  Louis,  for  whom,  both  as  teacher  and  friend,  he  felt 
the  highest  admiration  and  esteem,  amounting  to  rever 
ence.  His  most  intimate  friend  among  the  small  Ameri 
can  colony  there  was  James  Jackson,  Jr.,  with  whom  he 
had  the  special  privilege,  from  Louis,  of  entering  the  wards 
out  of  the  usual  hours.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  and  Mason 
Warren  were  also  his  associates,  and  the  names  of  Bizot 
and  Maunoir  of  Geneva  were  often  on  his  lips  in  after 
years,  —  names  which  are  now  held  high  in  esteem  in  their 
native  country,  Switzerland. 

His  father's  reputation  as  a  man  of  science  opened  to 
him  also  the  doors  of  many  of  the  "  savants  "  of  France, 
chief  among  them  being  La  Place,  the  mathematician, 
whose  great  work,  "  La  Me*canique  Celeste,"  was  then  in 
process  of  translation  by  my  grandfather.  My  father's 
reminiscences  of  his  introduction  and  his  subsequent 
visit  to  Madame  La  Place,  and  of  her  beautiful  courtesy 
to  him  as  a  student  and  in  after  years,  were  among  the 
most  delightful  memories  of  his  life. 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  19 

TO  HIS  PARENTS. 

PARIS,  June  29, 1832. 

I  hope  I  have  always  been  fully  sensible  of  your 
kindness  to  me,  but  I  have  never  been  placed  in 
circumstances  before  that  have  aroused  such  feelings 
within  me  as  I  have  at  present.  Never  have  my 
emotions  of  pride  at  being  the  son  of  the  translator 
of  La  Place  been  so  excited  before.  Your  name, 
my  dear  father,  carries  me  anywhere,  and  introduces 
to  the  best  and  most  learned  as  well  (I  may  add)  as 
the  most  fashionable  circles.  I  have  received  a  call 
from  Poisson  and  shall  soon,  Mr.  Warden  tells  me, 
have  one  from  the  venerable  Legendre.  I  dined 
yesterday  at  the  chateau  of  Madame  La  Place,  whose 
son  is  now  a  Peer  of  France.  I  never  enjoyed  a 
half  hour  more  pleasantly.  Madame  is  a  very  lively 
lady,  not  appearing  to  be  more  than  50,  though  I 
think  she  must  be  more  aged.  She  received  me  very 
cordially,  made  me  sit  on  the  sofa  with  her,  and  we 
talked  French  for  a  long  time.  (It  is  just  four  weeks 
since  I  arrived ;  do  not  you  think  I  must  have  im 
proved  in  conversation  most  wonderfully  to  be  able 
to  talk  French  with  a  lady  without  "  feeling  red  "  ? 
but  I  did  so,  for  I  felt  as  if  I  was  with  an  old  friend, 
and  I  talked  and  I  laughed  just  as  if  I  were  at 
Boston.) 

She  told  me  something  that  I  shall  keep  secret  at 
present,  for  the  sake  of  exciting  your  curiosity,  and 
shall  wait  to  hear  from  you  something  about  it.  (Do 
you  understand  ?)  I  told  her  I  did  not  know  that 


20  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

I  could  ever  repay  her.  "  Madame,  how  can  I  do 
so,  how  can  I  ever  repay  you  for  your  kindness  to 
my  father  ?  "  "  By  coming  to  see  me  very  often," 
replied  she. 

At  the  table  I  was  seated  next  to  Magendie,  the 
great  physiologist,  whom  I  found  very  kind  and 
gentlemanly.  I  had  this  place  given  me  because  M. 
speaks  English  a  little.  I  told  him  with  his  permis 
sion  I  would  speak  French  when  I  could,  and  when 
I  met  with  a  word  I  could  not  explain  I  would  then 
recur  to  my  native  tongue.  I  talked  much  with  him, 
and  in  the  evening  he  took  me  home  in  his  cabriolet 
and  invited  me  to  visit  with  him  in  his  wards  at 
"  Hotel  Dieu."  I  thought  the  opportunity  was  not 
to  be  lost,  so  I  went  this  morning.  I  found  him 
very  pleasant,  at  the  bedside  of  the  patient,  pointing 
out  to  me  cases  that  were  interesting  to  me  and  to 
all,  at  the  present  time.  Entre  nous,  —  no,  I  won't 
tell  even  my  hopes  at  the  present  time ;  suffice  it  to 
say  they  are  very  high.  Everybody  is  telling  me  of 
the  great  advantages  I  have  over  any  other  Ameri 
can,  so  that  I  can  be  allowed  to  hope.  I  find  that 
my  expenses  the  present  month  will  not  quite  amount 
to  the  sum  we  fixed  upon,  and  I  hope  they  will  not 
at  any  future  one. 

Farewell,  my  dear  Parents,  I  am  at  present  in 
fine  health  and  spirits,  and  may  blessings  ever  fall 
plentifully  on  your  heads  for  the  unnumbered 
tokens  you  have  given  me  of  your  love  and  confi 
dence.  By  the  blessing  of  God  you  shall  never  have 
reason  to  repent  that  you  have  sent  me  here. 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  21 

Give  my  love  to  all  and  tell  them  all  that  every 
token  given  me  on  my  departure  holds  a  conspicuous 
place  in  my  room.  They  remind  me  agreeably  of 
home.  Kiss  Eliza  and  tell  her  to  add  a  postscript 
to  Mary's  letters.  Do  write  soon,  as  it  is  more  than 
two  months  since  I  heard  from  Otis  Place. 

Your  son  H. 

P.  S.  At  some  future  time  I  hope  to  give  a  more 
detailed  account  of  matters  and  things  for  my  jour 
nal,  but  from  the  present  appearances  I  shall  not 
get  to  these  times  until  six  months  more  writing 
to  Mary.  I  forgot  to  state  that  the  2d  vol.  [of  the 
"  Mecanique  Celeste  "  translation]  with  your  letter 
was  the  only  book  to  be  seen  lying  on  the  grand 
table  in  the  Salon  at  Madame's. 

The  following  letter  to  my  father  explains  the  nature  of 
the  surprise  hinted  at  by  him  in  his  letter  of  June  29. 
The  bust  of  La  Place,  the  gift  of  his  widow  to  my  grand 
father,  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  family  for  many 
years,  after  which,  in  accordance  with  my  father's  wishes, 
it  was  placed  among  his  father's  books  now  preserved  in 
the  Boston  Public  Library. 

BOSTON,  September  16, 1832. 

MY  DEAR  SON,  — We  received  perfectly  safe  your 
beautiful  bust  of  La  Place,  together  with  the  books 
from  M.  Legendre,  M.  Poisson,  and  M.  Warden. 
You  will  make  my  best  respects  to  them  when  it 
happens  to  be  convenient  to  you,  but  particularly  to 
Madame  la  Marquise  de  La  Place,  to  whom  you  will 
please  present  my  thanks,  and  tell  her  that,  after 


22  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

keeping  it  in  my  library  as  long  as  I  shall  have  one, 
I  shall  finally  order  it  to  be  placed  in  the  College 
Museum,  with  the  busts  of  Washington,  Adams,  etc. 
I  have  concluded  to  put  "  Auld  Lang  Syne  "  by,  and 
purchase  a  new  secretary  fitting  to  have  this  bust  at 
the  top.  I  am  going  on  with  the  third  volume,  and 
have  now  about  forty  pages  printed,  and  have  got 
fairly  "  under  weigh  "  and  print  about  ten  or  twelve 
pages  per  week,  so  that  I  hope  to  get  it  out  by  the 
end  of  next  year,  or  in  the  spring  of  1834.  I  ob 
serve  in  the  July  "  Quarterly  Review  "  of  London, 
in  an  article  on  Mrs.  Somerville's  book,  they  speak 
favorably  of  my  translation  and  commentary.  It 
has  been  reprinted,  with  complimentary  additions,  in 
many  of  the  public  journals.  The  seventh  edition 
of  the  "  Navigator  "  is  out.  Blunt  wishes  me  to  dis 
count  $  250  from  $750  and  receive  $500  down  next 
month  for  the  edition  of  2500  copies,  and  I  have 
some  notion  of  taking  it,  for  fear  I  shall  not  get 
the  $750  if  I  have  to  wait  two  years. 

We  have  had  several  cases  of  cholera  in  Boston, 
as  Nat  will  inform  you.  There  has  been  no  panic 
about  it  —  no  more  than  there  would  be  with  cases 
of  autumnal  fever ;  it  has  been  kept  off  so  long  that 
there  is  great  hope  we  shall  not  have  it  badly.  My 
health  is  very  good.  Your  mother  has  given  a  very 
fair  account  of  herself,  to  which  I  have  appended 
a  note  confirming  and  giving  my  assent  to  what  she 
has  said.  We  trust  mainly  to  Nat's  "  Omnibus  "  to 
give  you  a  diary  of  all  our  transactions. 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  23 

You  must  have  a  very  interesting  time  at  Paris, 
with  a  fine  opportunity  of  acquiring  knowledge.  By 
the  way,  it  would  be  amusing  to  us  to  have  you 
state  the  particulars  of  one  day's  work,  —  how  you 
pass  your  time,  how  long  the  lectures  are,  who  lec 
tures  and  where,  etc.  I  have  much  curiosity  to  know 
the  ages  and  habits  of  the  savants,  Poisson,  Arago, 
etc.  Are  they  married  or  single,  big  or  little,  plea 
sant  or  taciturn,  children  or  childless,  etc.,  etc.  You 
may  pick  up  much  gossip  which  will  be  interesting 
to  us. 

I  have  sent  also  a  paper  of  Dr.  Francis's  (uncle  of 
Ward)  on  the  cholera  in  New  York,  hoping  it  would 
be  agreeable  to  you. 

Your  father, 

N.  B. 

TO  HIS   SISTER  MARY. 

PARIS,  August  7,  1832. 

Although  I  threatened  not  to  give  you  any  more 
extracts  from  my  journal,  I  believe  I  must  break 
through  my  determination,  in  order  that  you  may 
have  some  faint  idea  of  the  "fetes"  during  the 
"  three  days."  I  wish  for  your  sake  I  had  the 
graphic  pen  of  Irving  or  of  Cooper,  and  then  you 
should  have  a  description  worthy  of  being  read ;  but 
as  fate  has  determined  otherwise,  you  must  take  my 
feeble  account,  as  that  of  a  brother  who  wishes  the 
happiness  of  a  sister,  and  in  this  letter  of  circum 
stance  find  the  pleasure  that  my  story  may  fail  to 
excite. 

You  of  course  know  the  history  of   the   events 


24  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

that  these  fetes  are  intended  to  commemorate. 
Charles  X.,  the  King  of  France,  chose  July,  1830,  to 
pass  some  ordinances  which  restrained  most  materi 
ally  the  liberty  of  the  press  and  freedom  of  opinion, 
and  for  this  reason  by  force  of  arms  was  driven  from 
the  throne,  and  Louis  Philippe,  the  present  monarch, 
placed  there  in  his  stead.  All  these  events,  or  rather 
the  active  part  of  these  events,  happened  during 
July  27th,  28th,  29th,  1830.  Many  lives  were  lost 
and  much  injury  done  the  public  buildings  by  the 
fire  of  the  soldiery  and  the  citizens.  The  graves  of 
those  who  fell  near  the  Louvre  exist  now,  guarded 
by  a  sentinel,  and  decorated  by  wreaths  of  flowers ; 
but  the  flowers  are  all  faded,  and  the  sentinel  paces 
with  an  indifferent  air  over  the  place  where  rest  the 
defenders  of  their  country's  freedom.  They  fought 
and  they  fell  for  ...  a  shadow  that  has  vanished 
away. 

However,  this  mode  of  writing  epistles  will  never 
bring  me  to  the  end  of  my  story  of  the  fetes.  Allons 
done. 

27th.  This,  being  the  first  day,  was  to  be  devoted 
to  the  distribution  of  food,  etc.,  to  the  poor.  This, 
according  to  the  "  programme,"  was  to  be  done  at 
the  Bureau  de  Charite  of  each  arrondissement  or 
ward  of  the  city.  I  accordingly  threaded  the  nar 
row  and  crowded  streets  to  that  nearest  my  place  of 
abode,  in  order  to  see  this  distribution.  I  antici 
pated  something  interesting,  for  I  thought  of  course 
that  I  should  meet  a  vast  crowd  assembled  to  partake 
of  the  bounty  of  the  Government.  I  imagined  as  I 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  26 

passed  towards  the  spot  that  I  could  almost  hear  the 
rough  words  and  still  rougher  blows  inflicted  by  one 
good  neighbor  upon  the  other  in  the  struggle  for 
priority.  But  on  my  arrival  I  could  neither  see  nor 
hear  anything  so  warlike  as  I  had  anticipated.  There 
was  not  even  a  crowd,  and  the  soldiers  of  the  neigh 
boring  casern  were  lolling  as  usual  on  benches  or 
idly  resting  upon  their  muskets.  I  stared  about  for 
some  time,  and  at  length  discovered  some  individuals 
coming  from  a  spot  near  me,  laden  with  bread.  I 
looked  in  and  perceived  that  it  was  a  maison  des 
Sosurs  de  la  Charite,  and  the  sisters  in  their  usual 
attire  were  giving  alms  to  the  poor  and  distressed. 

I  had  heard  of  these  "  meres/'  as  they  are  called 
by  their  patients,  when  I  was  in  America,  and  I  find 
they  are  nothing  less  than  I  had  anticipated.  This 
is  more  than  I  can  say  of  anything  else  in  Paris. 

But,  as  I  was  saying,  I  saw  but  few  persons  re 
ceiving  this  charity,  and  in  truth  I  should  never  have 
suspected  it  was  a  fete  day,  so  smoothly  did  all  things 
proceed.  I  therefore  soon  returned  home  to  study 
Spallangani. 

28th.  After  eating  my  breakfast  I  issued  forth 
with  the  intention  of  spending  the  day  in  seeing  the 
different  festivities,  it  being  the  first  holiday  that 
I  had  taken.  First,  I  determined  to  see  one  of  the 
sixteen  couples  married,  and  for  this  purpose  I  went  to 
the  church  of  St.  Paul.  (The  city  had  chosen  sixteen 
couples  belonging  to  the  families  of  those  who  had 
fallen  during  the  three  days,  to  be  married  on  this 
day  in  their  different  wards,  and  receive  3000  francs 


26  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

apiece  as  a  dowry.)  By  paying  a  sou  I  obtained  a 
chair  in  the  gallery,  so  that  I  could  look  directly  down 
upon  the  high  altar. 

Leaving  the  church,  I  made  a  speedy  journey  to 
the  Champs  Elysees,  in  order  to  see  the  fetes  about 
to  be  commenced  there.  I  found  all  full  of  life,  but 
unfortunately  at  the  same  time  full  of  dust.  Two 
large  theatres  had  been  erected  opposite  to  each  other 
in  the  "  grand  square,"  and  there  were  to  be  acted 
alternately,  every  half  hour  during  the  day,  panto 
mimes.  I  saw  the  first  two,  and  was  well  pleased  with 
one  which  had  a  great  deal  of  humor  in  it,  but  the 
other  was  nothing  but  a  tissue  of  military  manoau- 
vres.  Great  battles  were  lost  and  won  in  an  incredi 
bly  short  space  of  time ;  soldiers  looked  fierce  and 
behaved  very  boldly  when  advancing  to  the  charge 
with  unfixed  bayonets.  One  man  was  really  severely 
wounded  in  the  leg  and  was  borne  off  the  stage  upon 
the  muskets  of  the  soldiery.  This  second  play  car 
ried  us  into  Egypt,  to  the  scene  of  Napoleon's  victo 
ries,  and  was  very  uninteresting.  There  was  nothing 
but  soldiers,  soldiers,  soldiers.  But,  thought  I,  is 
not  all  this  intended  to  show  the  people  upon  what 
the  Government  rests  ? 

During  the  short  intervals  of  the  plays  there  were 
feats  of  dancing  upon  ropes,  balancing,  etc.,  etc.,  by 
a  party  of  jugglers  hired  by  the  Government. 

Innumerable  were  the  games  and  exhibitions  con 
trived  to  amuse  the  public,  and  some  of  them  suffi 
ciently  curious.  Among  these  were  a  number  of 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  27 

electrical  machines,  from  which  any  one  might  receive 
a  shock.  The  owners  always  had  a  large  crowd 
around  them.  It  was  amusing  to  see  the  common 
people  arrange  themselves,  in  order  to  receive  a  shock, 
and  pay  a  sou  for  the  liberty  of  so  doing.  Oh,  I 
shall  long  remember  the  many  loud  laughs  that  arose 
from  the  multitude  when  any  unwary  countryman  or 
dame  was  entrapped  into  receiving  one. 

Then  having  seen  all  I  wished  in  Champs  Elysees, 
I  left  the  place  and  went  towards  the  Seine ;  but  the 
account  of  what  I  saw  there  I  must  defer  until  my 
next,  for  it  is  impossible  to  put  it  into  this  sheet. 

Thus,  my  dear  Mary,  I  have  been  returning  good 
for  evil.  I  have  written  by  every  packet  and  have 
received,  as  yet,  but  one  package  from  home.  I  feel 
inclined  to  scold,  but  I  forbear,  supposing  that  my 
previous  letters  will  make  you  all  do  better.  Write 
anything  :  when  you  were  at  one  place  and  when  at 
another ;  when  you  stayed  at  home  and  when  you 
went  abroad  ;  whom  you  met ;  how  all  the  girls  do, 
etc.,  etc.,  etc. ;  in  fact,  anything,  and  it  will  give  me 
great  pleasure.  I  must  hereafter  have  a  letter  by 
every  packet,  as  every  other  American  has.  Give 
my  love  to  all.  If  you  see  Kittredge,  tell  him  to  give 
my  love  to  all  in  the  Hospital,  and  among  the  num 
ber  not  to  forget  Rebecca  Taylor,  who  is  the  best 
nurse  that  ever  was  in  that  institution.  Tell  him 
also  that  though  I  should  be  well  pleased  to  hear  from 
him,  I  am  so  much  engaged  I  shall  not  be  able  to 
return  an  answer. 

Tell  father  I  improve  in  speaking  and  understand- 


28  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

ing  French  pretty  fast.  I  am  now,  as  I  was  at  first, 
following  Louis  and  Andral  in  the  wards  of  La 
Pitie,  having  studied  the  cholera  in  the  hall  of  Ma- 
gendie  during  the  past  month  of  its  recrudescence. 
Mother  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  have  left  the  wards 
specially  devoted  to  this  dreadful  malady.  I  attended 
a  medical  debating  club,  whose  president  is  M. 
Louis,  last  Saturday,  and  have  been  invited  to  attend 
every  evening  that  it  meets.  I  was  introduced  to 
Louis  as  the  friend  of  James  Jackson,  Jr.,  and  he  re 
ceived  me  very  graciously,  and  said  I  was  heartily 
welcome  with  such  a  recommendation.  It  is  rather 
singular  that  Jackson  should  have  been  the  founder 
of  a  French  medical  club  in  Paris,  but  such  is  the  fact. 
I  hear  everywhere  of  Jackson  as  a  man  who  devotes 
himself  heart  and  soul  to  his  profession.  Tell  his 
father  of  it,  for  he  is  a  good  man.  I  love  him  much. 
Good-by,  my  dear  sister,  and  remember  me. 

October  6,  1832. 

Several  packets  have  arrived  at  New  York  with 
out  your  receiving  directly  a  letter  from  me,  and  as 
it  is  Saturday  night  I  will  finish  the  week  by  finish 
ing  my  account  of  the  three  days. 

July  29th.  After  a  hurried  breakfast  I  started 
for  the  Boulevards  through  which  the  king  was  to 
pass  in  order  to  make  his  review  of  the  troops  of  the 
line  and  national  guards.  I  found  that,  although 
half  an  hour  later  than  the  programme  stated  the 
king  would  pass,  I  must  wait  two  hours  ere  his 
Majesty  would  appear.  By  the  end  of  this  time  I 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  29 

was  thoroughly  fatigued.  The  review  was  con 
sidered  one  of  the  most  splendid  ever  known  in 
Paris.  The  number  of  soldiers  was  immense,  — 
reaching  nearly  from  one  extremity  of  Paris  to  the 
other,  in  two  lines,  on  either  side  of  the  Boulevard. 
The  king,  having  passed  once  through  the  line,  re 
turned  in  order  to  make  his  review.  His  progress 
was  marked  by  "  vive  "  from  the  soldiery  but  not 
from  the  people,  who  generally  kept  silence,  or 
cried  as  one  near  me  did,  "  Vive  la  liberte  !  "  After 
seeing  his  Majesty  and  his  sons  twice,  I  went  to 
wards  the  Place  Vendome.  The  Due  d'Orleans,  the 
first  son,  has  not  a  pleasant  face ;  he  has  an  air 
of  superciliousness,  and  indifference  for  the  people. 
He  is  well  made,  tall,  but  looks  as  if  fame  does  not 
say  falsely  when  she  declares  that  he  is  very  dissi 
pated.  The  Dues  de  Nemours,  the  second,  and  de 
Joinville,  the  third  son,  are  both  quite  handsome  and 
have  amiable  faces.  In  the  Place  Vendome  I  saw 
the  queen  and  the  rest  of  the  royal  family.  The 
prints  that  you  see  of  her  resemble  her  very  much. 
King  Leopold's  (the  King  of  Belgium)  intended 
bride  is  "  assez  jolie,"  though  she  looks  as  if  her 
beauty  would  soon  fade.  The  other  daughter  is 
absolutely  ugly.  The  king's  sister,  Madame  Ade 
laide,  looks  like  a  coarse,  vulgar,  big-mouthed,  large- 
featured,  red-faced  countrywoman.  Donna  Maria, 
whom  (you  know)  they  hope  to  make  Queen  of  Por 
tugal,  was  allowed  to  sit  with  the  family  under  a 
canopy  of  crimson  and  gold.  She  is  a  pretty,  curly- 
headed  girl,  just  tall  enough  to  be  able  to  look  over 


30  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

the  railing  in  front  of  her,  at  the  review  which  was 
going  on  under  her  window. 

Having  had  my  curiosity  fully  satisfied  by  looking 
at  these  royal  ladies  a  half  hour,  I  left  and  strolled 
to  the  Champs  Elysees  to  wile  away  the  time,  be 
fore  the  illuminations  should  commence.  About 
eight,  I  first  saw  the  tapers  about  to  be  lighted  on 
the  Hotel  des  Invalides.  The  Chamber  of  Depu 
ties  was  also  illuminated,  and  looked  well.  Besides 
these,  all  the  public  buildings  were  covered  with 
lights.  The  grand  dome  of  the  Pantheon  looked 
like  a  vast  hemisphere  of  fire.  But  the  most  beau 
tiful  of  all  was  the  grand  cross  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor,  which  appeared  as  if  absolutely  fixed  among 
the  stars,  so  bright  did  it  appear,  and  so  raised  above 
all  the  surrounding  edifices. 


TO   HIS  PARENTS. 

PARIS,  November  17, 1832. 

I  have  just  returned  from  opening  the  evening 
very  pleasantly  with  the  "  Societe  d' Observation  " 
(i.  e.,  medicales)  of  which  Louis  is  the  president. 
It  is  Saturday  night,  and  I  am  going  to  devote  it  to 
you. 

A  week  ago,  hearing  that  Madame  Somerville  was 
in  Paris,  I  determined  to  make  a  call  and  introduce 
myself,  feeling  that,  bearing  my  father's  name,  I 
should  receive  a  cordial  reception.  But  I  will  give 
you  an  extract  from  my  journal.  I  had  no  letter  of 
introduction  to  this  celebrated  lady,  and  I  went  con- 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  31 

fidently  as  the  son  of  the  American  translator  of  La 
Place.  She  received  me  very  graciously,  and  told 
me  that  Lafayette  had  promised  to  introduce  me 
to  her,  as  she  wanted  much  to  send  a  letter  to  my 
father.  I  passed  a  quarter  of  an  hour  very  pleasantly. 
She  is  a  lady  of  about  the  common  size,  and  has 
a  thin,  pale,  and  at  the  same  time  intelligent  face. 
There  was  an  air  of  mildness,  amiability,  and  of 
modesty  with  regard  to  her  own  powers,  which  was 
very  pleasant.  Her  character,  as  described  to  me 
by  those  who  know  her,  corresponds  with  her  gen 
eral  appearance,  being  amiable,  domestic,  and,  al 
though  possessing  an  extraordinary  mind,  seems 
conscious  of  how  little  man  can  know.  She  has 
a  pleasant,  mild  voice  and  speaks  with  a  Scotch 
accent. 

She  intends  spending  the  winter  here  with  her 
two  daughters,  who  are  about  sixteen  and  seventeen, 
for  their  education.  During  my  conversation  with 
Madame,  a  tall  stout  gentleman  entered  and  was  in 
troduced  as  Dr.  Somerville  of  London,  and  husband 
of  Madame.  He  also  greeted  me  cordially,  promised 
what  he  would  do  for  me  when  I  arrived  at  London, 
and  of  the  letters  he  would  give  to  the  first  physi 
cians  in  Edinboro'.  After  spending  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  with  them  I  took  my  leave.  Madame, 
shaking  my  hand,  said  she  hoped  to  see  me  during 
the  winter. 

Madame  asked  about  Professor  Farrar  and  lady, 
and  said  she  wanted  much  to  obtain  the  little  work 
Mrs.  Farrar  has  lately  written  in  relation  to  her  visit 


32  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

to  Lafayette.  It  is  of  the  same  character  as  her 
"  Robinson  Crusoe/'  but  I  wish  you  would  get  it  for 
her  and  send  it  to  me,  if  possible.  In  relation  to  the 
letter  which  she  intends  sending  to  you,  father,  it 
is  to  thank  you  for  the  present  of  your  translation. 
She  spoke  of  it  very  highly. 

I  still  continue  well,  and  generally  in  high  spirits. 
Once  or  twice  only  I  have  had,  since  the  damp  un 
comfortable  weather  began,  a  fit  of  blues,  and  I  con 
sider  it  altogether  owing  to  want  of  such  society 
as  we  have  in  New  England.  However,  these  times 
have  been  only  once  or  twice,  and  a  night's  sleep  has 
generally  cured  them. 

Mason  Warren  and  Copley  Greene  are  my  next- 
door  neighbors,  and  both  are  equally  zealous  in  the 
paths  that  they  have  chosen.  Jackson  is  not  far  off, 
and  I  meet  him  every  day  at  the  hospital.  I  find 
he  has  altered  for  the  better.  He  is  more  zealous, 
if  it  be  possible,  than  when  in  America.  ...  If  any 
one  seems  more,  more  than  all  the  rest,  to  have  filial 
piety,  it  is  he,  for  he  absolutely  adores  his  father. 
I  am  much  pleased  with  him. 

Give  my  love  to  all  and  write  often,  though  my 
fate  seems  to  be  not  to  receive  a  budget  by  every 
packet,  as  all  my  friends  here  do. 

TO  HIS  SISTER  MARY. 

PARIS,  December  17,  1832. 

I  commence  this  letter  to  you  without  any  definite 
idea  as  to  how  I  shall  finish  it,  but  I  must  have  an 
envelope  for  mother's,  and  it  is  a  shame  a  whole 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  33 

sheet  should  go  across  the  Atlantic  without  a  word 
written  upon  it. 

Sitting  a  few  days  since  in  the  cafe,  eating  break 
fast  and  occasionally  glancing  upon  the  "  Constitu- 
tionnel "  to  read  the  news  of  the  political  world,  my 
eye  fell  upon  the  name  that  looked  vastly  like  my 
own.  Egad,  thought  I,  why  have  they  honored  me 
so  much  as  to  print  me  in  a  French  journal,  —  or  is 
it  that  the  hand  of  the  police  is  about  to  seize  upon 
me?  I  put  down  my  cup  and  began  to  read  in 
good  earnest,  and  behold  the  result. 

"  Extract  d'une  lettre  ecrite  a  Boston  le  17  Sep 
tember. 

"  J'arrive  de  1'enterrement  du  docteur  Spurzheim 
et  jamais  il  n'y  avait  autant  de  monde  sur  une  occa 
sion  semblable  !  Le  docteur  Follen  a  prononce  un 
discours  sur  la  vie  de  son  compatriote.  Le  President 
de  Funiversite,  Josiah  Quincy,  etait  a  la  tete  du 
convoi  avec  le  docteur  Bowditch  et  le  savant  J. 
Pickering,  etc.,  etc." 

I  presume  you  will  be  able  to  translate  the  French, 
but  perhaps  not  the  English,  for  I  verily  believe  Mr. 
Pickering  would  find  some  difficulty  in  recognizing 
himself  in  his  French  garb. 

As  I  am  in  a  dreadful  dilemma  for  want  of  any 
thing  to  write,  I  will  give  an  extract  from  my  jour 
nal  for  father's  entertainment  more  than  yours. 

"  June  18th.  I  visited  La  Pitie  and  went  through 
Louis's  ward  with  him.  In  the  afternoon  I  attended 
a  meeting  of  the  Institute  and  was  introduced  to 
LaCroix,  Legendre,  Magendie,  etc.,  etc.  I  was  not 


34  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

much  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the  first,  for 
there  was  nothing  about  him  to  mark  a  savant.  He 
is  quite  short,  thick,  chubby  I  might  almost  say ; 
he  has  an  intelligent,  animated  eye,  red  nose,  and 
a  large  mouth,  which  he  frequently  opens  whilst 
his  teeth  are  closed,  thus  producing  an  unpleasant 
grin.  His  form,  which  as  I  said  before  was  not  the 
most  beautiful,  was  adorned  with  a  huge  double- 
breasted  yellow  vest,  covered  by  a  large  blue  coat. 
Both  of  these  garments  seemed  as  if  they  had  been 
cut  when  the  wearer  had  much  more  embonpoint 
than  at  present,  for  they  hung  upon  him  most  woe 
fully.  Imagine  this  little  gentleman  lame  in  one 
foot  and  possessing  a  feminine  voice,  and  you  have  a 
picture  of  LaCroix.  I  took  my  station  almost  oppo 
site  to  him,  and  my  gravity  was  about  upset  when 
I  saw  him  draw  with  both  hands  his  black  silk  cap 
over  his  head  and  sound  his  bell  to  call  the  wise 
men  surrounding  him  to  order.  Yet  this  feeling 
I  was  sensible  was  wrong,  for  his  talents  ought  to 
have  so  commanded  my  respect  as  to  have  prevented 
such  ideas  from  rising  in  my  mind.  Moreover,  there 
was  an  air  of  kindness  and  of  a  je  ne  sais  quoi 
beaming  in  his  singular  face,  that  ought  to  have 
subdued  any  other  f  eeling  than  that  of  high  admira 
tion." 

Now  I  am  finished  with  LaCroix  I  will  return  to 
something  nearer  home.  Your  letters  are  all  in 
teresting,  and  the  more  you  enter  into  detail  the 
better.  Get  as  many  postscripts  from  the  girls  as 
you  can,  and  I  will  promise  to  try  to  answer  them. . . . 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  35 

January  6,  1833. 

I  wish  you  and  all  the  good  family  a  Happy  New 
Year.  I  went  to  "  passer  la  soiree  "  a  few  evenings 
since  at  the  house  of  an  American  friend.  We  had  a 
very  pleasant  time,  met  the  Lafayette  family,  though 
not  the  interesting  one,  as  probably  her  state  of 
health  did  not  allow  her  to  be  present.  I  danced 
with  a  fair  countrywoman  by  the  name  of  Miss  Fisher 
of  Philadelphia.  The  style  of  dancing,  in  a  large 
company  here,  is  very  similar  to  that  of  Boston.  In 
fact,  a  Southern  brother  commenced  in  a  more  vigor 
ous  manner,  and  he  soon  was  the  theme  of  conversa 
tion  of  the  French  portion  of  the  company.  They 
looked  upon  him  as  a  kind  of  specimen  of  our  wild 
men  of  the  woods.  The  manner  of  making  a  bow 
here  is  very  peculiar  and  somewhat  similar  to  the 
curtsey  of  the  ladies  of  Boston.  The  man  bends  at 
the  middle  of  his  body,  as  if  that  were  the  only  joint 
in  his  back,  or  as  if  a  piece  of  iron  had  passed  up 
and  down  the  course  of  the  spine  preventing  any 
motion  of  one  bone  upon  another.  Hence,  when  an 
individual  enters  a  room  he  must  make  a  little  inclina 
tion  forwards,  and  on  seeing  any  acquaintance  of  the 
lady  of  the  house  he  makes  two  or  three  sudden  bal 
ancing  motions  forwards,  and  after  sundry  oscillations 
regains  his  former  bend.  I  find  my  stubborn  neck 
is  unwilling  to  give  up  the  New  England  bow,  so  that 
Frenchmen  are  able  to  recognize  me  immediately. 
Whether  it  will  be  ever  otherwise  I  have  my  doubts. 

I  have  been  to  the  Odeon  Theatre  once  since  my 
abode  here,  and  saw  Le  Tartuffe  and  Malade  Imagi- 


36  HENRY  1NGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

naire  of  Moliere  acted.  They  were  finely  done,  and 
the  spectator  had  nothing  but  the  acting  to  draw 
his  attention.  We  had  but  one  scene  throughout 
the  whole  of  either  piece,  and  that  a  very  simple 
one.  Mile.  Mars,  the  famous  actress  of  the  school 
of  Talma,  played  in  each.  She  is  now,  as  she  was 
formerly,  the  first  actress  of  the  French  stage.  Her 
manner  is  very  ladylike,  her  pronunciation  very  dis 
tinct,  and  some  of  the  best  passages  were  finely 
emphasized  by  her.  The  part  of  the  Tartuffe  was 
also  very  finely  performed.  After  the  Tartuffe  came 
the  Malade  Imaginaire,  and  rarely  have  I  laughed 
so  much,  so  finely  was  that  character  performed. 
Moliere  gives  the  worthy  brotherhood  of  medicine 
many  hard  rubs,  and  at  the  same  time,  I  must  con 
fess,  some  of  them  are  not  more  than  many  of  my 
brethren  deserve. 

Poor  Copley  Greene  has  just  received  news  which 
makes  him  feel  very  badly,  viz.,  the  great  feebleness 
of  his  father.  I  pity  him  much,  for  he  is  in  the 
depths  of  woe,  and  I  never  knew  how  hard  it  is  to 
comfort  one  when  about  to  lose  so  near  a  friend  as 
a  father.  I  tried,  but  my  efforts  were  all  common 
place,  and  I  soon  perceived  their  futility. 

TO   HIS  MOTHER. 

PARIS,  January  27, 1833. 

If  ever  any  one  deserved  to  receive  a  letter  from  a 
son,  certainly  you  do,  for  you  have  been  very  kind  in 
writing  to  me.  I  suppose  ere  this  you  must  be  tired 
of  hearing  me  continually  thanking  you  and  father 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  37 

for  allowing  me  to  visit  Europe.  Every  day  that  I 
stay  here  makes  me  more  sensible  of  the  great  advan 
tages  I  enjoy.  As  James  Jackson  said  to  me  to-day 
as  we  were  returning  from  La  Pitie,  "  What  should  I 
have  done  had  I  not  come  to  Europe  ?  "  No  one  has 
the  least  conception  in  Boston  of  the  power  that  a  per 
son  can  gain  by  following  Louis.  The  mind  of  this 
gentleman  is  not  a  brilliant  one,  and  in  this  respect 
differs  from  that  of  his  friend  the  eloquent  Professor 
Andral,  professor  at  the  School  of  Medicine.  It  is 
an  observing  and  calculating  spirit,  which  examines 
with  the  utmost  exactness  the  symptoms  of  disease 
at  the  bedside,  weighs  the  different  values  of  them, 
under  different  circumstances.  [Louis]  is,  in  fact, 
what  he  wishes  to  be  considered,  a  careful  observer 
of  facts,  and  deduces  from  these  facts  the  laws  which 
regulate  disease.  Some  may  say  this  has  been  done 
before,  but  I  assure  you  it  has  not  been.  However, 
I  will  not  enter  into  further  particulars  with  you  on  a 
subject  which  would  be  more  proper  for  Dr.  Jackson, 
but  turn  to  another  quality  of  this  character  which 
you  will  like  better  to  hear  about.  He  has  a  noble 
heart,  a  delightfully  kind  disposition.  When  any  of 
his  friends  are  sick  he  is  among  the  first  to  call  to  see 
them ;  he  always  meets  them  with  a  smile,  though 
sometimes  to  his  patients,  from  his  hurried  manner, 
he  appears  rough.  I  shall  never  forget  the  visit  he 
lately  made  me.  I  was  slightly  unwell  and  obliged 
to  stay  in  my  room  for  two  days.  On  the  third  day 
I  went  out,  hearing  that  there  was  something  inter 
esting  at  the  hospital,  but  not  until  after  his  visit. 


38  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Whilst  I  was  there  he  called  at  my  room.  I  doubt 
whether  any  physician  in  Boston  would  have  done  as 
much,  more  especially  as  he  lives  a  mile  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river.  I  shall  never  forget  it,  and  I  told 
him  so.  He  is  now  delivering  a  course  of  clinical  lec 
tures,  and  many  students  follow  him  ;  consequently 
I  have  no  opportunity  of  examining  the  patients  such 
as  I  had  before.  Accordingly  a  few  days  since  I  asked 
him  to  allow  me  to  visit  his  wards  in  the  afternoon. 
"  Ecoutez,"  said  he,  "  you  are  a  stranger  and  are  to 
reside  here  only  a  short  time,  and  therefore  I  will 
grant  you  what  I  could  not  to  a  Frenchman."  Since 
that  time  Jackson  (who  did  it  before)  and  I  have 
made  our  evening  visits,  and  are  almost  considered  in 
the  light  of  internes ;  i.  e.,  so  far  as  our  power  of 
examining  patients  goes,  there  being  but  very  few 
who  are  unruly.  There  are,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  two 
"  dames  d  'un  certain  age,"  and  so  abominably  ner 
vous  and  ill  natured  that  should  it  be  my  luck  to 
be  united  to  their  like,  I  should  be  guilty  of  suicide 
very  summarily. 

You  may  say  that  this  kindness  of  Louis  is  owing 
to  selfishness.  But  say  not  so  again ;  for  in  the 
same  manner  he  treats  all  his  pupils,  all  his  friends. 
I  shall  always  love  him,  and  look  upon  him  as  one 
who  is  to  be  a  renovator  of  the  science  of  medicine. 
He  marks  out  a  path  for  himself  and  his  disciples, 
but  if  it  be  followed  closely  it  can't  fail  of  making 
medicine  a  little  more  certain  than  it  is  now,  and 
them  more  powerful  in  distinguishing  diseases.  He 
has  roused  in  me  a  higher  feeling  than  I  had  in 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  39 

regard  to  my  profession.  I  always  looked  upon  it 
as  one  of  the  noblest  in  the  world ;  but  now  I  hope 
I  have  driven  off  some  of  the  lower  feelings  which 
influenced  me  while  in  America,  and  am  prepared  to 
study  it  as  one  requiring  for  a  proper  acquaintance 
of  it  the  highest  and  most  laborious  exertions  of 
which  man  is  capable.  Farewell,  my  dear  mother, 
and  remember  the  feelings  that  dictated  this  letter  if 
you  are  not  interested  in  its  contents.  Love  to  all. 

P.  S.  James  Jackson  is  one  of  my  firmest  and 
best  friends,  and  the  more  I  know  him  the  better  I 
like  him.  He  has  been  of  great  service  to  me  in 
teaching  me  things  which  he  learnt  during  the  year 
previous. 

TO  HIS  SISTER  MARY. 

February  6,  1833. 

MY  DEAR  MARY,  —  I  promised  you  a  letter  the 
last  time  I  wrote,  and  having  nothing  to  speak 
about  at  present  but  La  Pitie  and  Louis,  I  must 
have  recourse  again  to  my  journal  and  give  you  an 
account  of  my  visit  to  Versailles  in  the  autumn  with 
Greene  and  Warren.  You  must  consider  this  a 
great  favor,  inasmuch  as  were  it  not  for  the  desire 
of  writing  to  you  I  should  be  now  enjoying  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  moons  that  ever  shone  upon  the 
fair  hills  of  France.  However,  I  have  drawn  open 
my  curtains  and  am  determined  to  take  at  least  a 
transient  glimpse  at  her  ladyship,  from  time  to  time, 
when  my  ideas  are  not  quite  so  poetical  as  they 
ought  to  be,  when  writing  of  the  far-famed  city  of 


40  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Versailles.     (You  will  recollect  that  the  moon  has  a 
most  astonishing  effect  upon  me.) 

I  had  many  poetical  ideas,  but  malheureusement 
(for  mankind  at  large)  they  were  merely  "  airy  no 
things/'  for  they  all  vanished  when  I  attempted  to 
mark  them  on  paper.  I  was  reminded,  as  I  looked 
down  from  the  gallery,  of  all  the  troubles  of  the 
Revolution ;  and  those  previous  to  the  fatal  termi 
nation  for  a  time  of  the  Bourbon  power  in  France. 
Louis  and  his  beautiful  queen,  Marie  Antoinette, 
knelt  before  this  altar  that  I  was  looking  at,  and 
the  aisles  of  that  chapel,  now  so  deserted,  had  echoed 
to  the  sound  of  their  footsteps.  There  is  a  kind 
of  feeling,  which  it  is  out  of  my  power  to  express 
in  writing,  that  seizes  me  whenever  I  enter  an  old 
European  church  famed  in  story.  After  viewing 
this  enough,  we  were  conducted  through  an  immense 
suite  of  apartments,  all  unfurnished,  but  all  gilded 
as  before  the  Revolution.  Among  them  we  passed 
through  one  that  seemed  more  convenient  than  the 
others.  It  was  the  apartment  (bedchamber)  of  the 
queen,  from  which  she  fled  at  the  time  the  Paris 
mob  came  to  seize  upon  her.  I  was  abominably 
angry  at  being  hurried  through  this  apartment  in 
a  very  summary  manner.  Otherwise  I  should  have 
lisped  in  numbers,  for  the  numbers  would  have  come. 
As  it  was,  I  had  feelings  when  thinking  of  the  fair 
and  unfortunate  queen  which,  as  Sterne  says,  "I 
could  not  explain  by  the  supposition  of  any  combi 
nation  of  matter  and  motion."  I  was  as  certain  I 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  41 

had  a  soul  at  this  time,  as  Sterne  was  when  sitting  by 
the  side  of  his  Maria. 


TO  HIS  PARENTS. 

PARIS,  March  13,  1833. 

I  read  a  few  days  since  the  discourse  of  Dr.  Fol- 
len  upon  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Spurzheim. 
It  is  in  some  parts  beautifully  and  powerfully  written, 
but  the  greatest  charm  about  it  was  the  character  of 
the  deceased  as  portrayed  by  the  eulogist  in  many 
little  though  striking  circumstances.  From  the  doc 
tor's  discourse,  I  should  judge  that  the  great  phreno 
logist  was  filled  to  overflowing  with  the  love  of  his 
fellow  beings,  a  philanthropist  in  the  widest  signifi 
cance  of  the  term.  I  am  sorry  I  have  not  heard  him, 
but  I  hope  to  make  up  the  loss  by  attending  a  course 
of  lectures  on  his  favorite  subject  given  under  the 
direction  of  the  Phrenological  Society.  Every  day 
I  live  marks  me  more  an  American  than  before. 
There  is  too  much  humbug  on  the  part  of  the  police, 
and  at  the  same  time  60,000  troops  of  the  line  are 
in  the  city  of  Paris  to  maintain  "  ordre  publique,"  or 
in  other  words,  to  keep  the  people  in  as  much  subjec 
tion  as  under  the  old  regime.  The  affair  of  the  "  coup 
de  pistolet"  when  Louis  was  going  to  the  House 
of  Deputies  is  now  considered  a  mere  farce,  a  trick 
of  the  police  to  excite  the  people's  minds  in  favor 
of  the  Government.  General  Lafayette  is  neglected, 
M.  Lafitte  has  lost  his  all,  and  recently  his  mansion 
was  exposed  for  sale.  Among  the  ministry  there  is 


42  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

not  one  who  favored  the  Revolution,  and  two  of 
them  absolutely  opposed  it  to  the  utmost  of  their 
power.  So  much  for  the  Government  of  the  citizen 
King.  As  for  Lafayette,  I  never  approach  the  good 
old  gentleman  but  that  I  almost  imagine  myself  in 
the  presence  of  a  superior  being.  There  is  so  much 
mildness,  "  douceur/'  about  him  that  I  wonder  how 
any  one  can  but  love  him.  Yesterday  I  called  upon 
him  to  obtain  a  ticket  of  admission  into  the  Cham 
ber  of  Deputies,  and  he  met  me,  as  he  always  does, 
with  a  hearty  shake  of  both  hands,  and  gave  me 
two,  —  one  for  myself  and  one  other  for  another  of 
our  fellow  citizens,  he  said.  I  felt  sorry  as  I  looked 
upon  him  that  he  had  been  so  woefully  deceived  by 
Louis  Philippe,  and  that  he  is  now  in  the  ministry ; 
but  a  moment  afterwards  I  felt  my  American  heart 
beat  stronger  than  ever  when  thinking  that  in  Amer 
ica,  at  least,  he  will  always  be  in  a  glorious  majority. 
I  could  hardly  restrain  myself  from  expressing  some  of 
the  feelings  which  were  within  when  these  thoughts 
flashed  across  me.  He  is  a  great  and  a  good  man  to 

whom  posterity  will  give  honor.  ,  perhaps,  will 

say  that  the  granddaughter  probably  caused  some 
of  my  excitement.  But  I  assure  her  that  the  grand 
daughter  did  not  once  occur  to  my  mind  during  the 
interview. 

My  love  to  all  as  usual. 

Midnight  is  fast  approaching,  and  therefore  you 
will  excuse  my  not  going  beyond  the  third  page. 

In  the  intervals  of  his  medical  studies  about  this  time, 
my  father  became  interested,  with  several  French  and 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  43 

Swiss  law  and  medical  students,  in  the  lectures  of  Jouf- 
froy,  the  famous  philosopher,  then  in  the  College  of 
France. 

No  special  mention  is  made  in  the  letters  of  his  attend 
ance  at  these  meetings,  but  a  subsequent  journal,  written 
many  years  later,  gives  some  details  of  his  experience 
with  Jouffroy,  and  these,  with  the  fragment  of  a  letter 
addressed  at  that  time  to  the  lecturer,  serve  to  show  how 
deeply  my  father  was  interested  in  everything  pertaining 
to  matters  spiritual,  even  in  the  midst  of  his  busy  medical 
life. 

JOUFFROY'S  LECTURES.* 

These  lectures  were  delightful.  Week  after  week 
a  bevy  of  us  young  men  got  from  him  the  highest 
inspiration.  I  remember  as  if  it  were  but  yester 
day  the  title  of  the  first  lecture  I  heard  from  him. 
It  ran  in  its  introduction  somewhat  in  this  wise  : 
Gentlemen,  I  shall  speak  to  you  to-day  of  the  Future 
Life ;  of  what  it  must  be  according  to  the  constitution 
of  the  human  mind.  He  was  a  Spiritualist,  as  you 
will  see,  and  taught  Natural  Religion,  and  would 
probably  answer  as  Huxley  does,  that  a  "  philosophic 
faith  "  teaches  that  at  some  time  "  life  was  given 
to  dead  matter."  It  struck  me  very  pleasantly,  the 
earnestness  with  which  young  men  followed  him  and 
subsequently  discussed  most  freely  the  high  themes 
thus  suggested.  The  subject  fascinated  not  only  the 
students,  but  I  found  at  my  "  pension  bourgeoise  " 
young  and  old,  men  and  women,  anxious  to  hear  of 
them  during  the  courses  at  the  dinner  table,  and  to 

1  Extract  from  volume  ix.,  Book  X.,  pages  25  to  26,  Manuscript. 


44  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

talk  about  them  with  the  same  freedom  they  were 
discussed  in  the  salon  of  the  philosopher.  This  was 
a  new  phase  of  society  such  as  I  had  never  met  in 
America.  Every  day  I  was  asked  in  regard  to  the 
subjects  discussed,  and  we  had  the  freest  conversation 
upon  them.  The  dinner  was  not  only  a  physical  re 
past,  but  an  intellectual  feast  also,  perfectly  free  of 
speech  and  at  times  very  piquant  e,  not  to  say  peculiar. 
I  remember  one  conversation  most  clearly,  because  at 
the  time  it  made  a  deep  impression  on  me  and  ap 
parently  claimed  the  attention  of  all  at  the  table  (con 
sisting  of  old  conservatives  of  the  "  ancien  regime," 
middle-aged  Democrats,  young  law  and  medical  stu 
dents,  interspersed  with  variously-aged  women).  The 
question  had  arisen  of  sublimity  and  beauty  in  lit 
erature,  and  various  writers  had  been  alluded  to  as 
showing  more  or  less  of  either  or  both  of  these  char 
acteristics.  Suddenly  a  middle-aged  democratic-faced 
personage  broke  out  with  the  following,  apparently 
forced  from  him  by  the  general  drift  of  the  conversa 
tion  :  "  Well,  I  find  more  sublimity  and  beauty  in  the 
Bible  than  in  any  other  book."  A  thunderclap  on 
a  clear  day  could  not  have  had  more  effect,  and  a 
law  student  in  terms  and  with  a  manner  expressive 
of  complete  dissent  from  that  proposition  said, 
"  Mon  Dieu !  Le  Bible  !  C  'est  tout  passe,  ca ! " 
Instantly,  with  a  face  full  of  fierce  energy,  the  other 
replied,  "  Sir,  I  was  a  child  of  the  Kevolution,  and  a 
Bible  was  put  into  my  hands,  and  I  was  told  to  read 
or  not,  as  I  pleased ;  and  I  repeat  that  in  my  opinion 
the  Bible  has  more  passages  of  sublimity  and  beauty 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  45 

than  any  other  book  that  I  read."  The  vehemence 
of  his  manner  and  his  incisive  language  of  warm 
feeling  closed  the  debate. 

This  letter,  addressed  to  Jouffroy,  was  found  among 
my  father's  papers,  with  the  date  1832  or  1833.  On  the 
back  of  the  sheet  is  a  short  fragmentary  note  written  in 
1890,  nearly  sixty  years  later. 

DEAR  Sm,  —  If  I  understand  you  rightly,  you  said 
all  religions  are  merely  codes  of  morals  formed  by 
human  kind.  It  is  a  science,  as  mathematics,  natural 
philosophy,  are  sciences.  It  improves  as  these  sci 
ences  do,  as  mankind  advances  more  in  knowledge  ; 
it  has  improved  as  these  have  done.  You  hope  that 
future  philosophers  will  continue  to  labor  in  it,  in 
order  to  bring  it  more  nearly  to  perfection.  Now,  I 
would  ask  you  whether  religion  can  be  placed  on  the 
same  footing  with  the  physical  sciences.  Certainly 
all  of  these  latter  are  vastly  better  known  than  at  the 
time  Christianity  was  introduced.  The  astronomer, 
naturalist,  etc.,  would  smile  at  the  supposition  that  he 
knows  nothing  more  than  his  predecessors  eighteen 
hundred  years  ago.  Does  the  Christian  think  this ; 
does  he  not  think  —  in  fact,  is  he  not  sure  — that  the 
great  principles  of  Christianity  have  remained  always 
the  same  ?  Can  you,  sir,  point  out  one  single  feature 
of  the  Christian  code  that  has  been  improved  even  a 
little  since  it  was  given  to  mankind  by  its  author  ? 

I  think  you  cannot.  If  this  be  really  so,  then  it 
contradicts  your  argument  that  religion  is  merely  a 
name  and  must  improve  as  man  improves.  Yet  more, 


46  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWD1TCH 

this  is  an  exceedingly  strange  result,  inasmuch  as  it 
ought  to  have  advanced  more  than  any  of  the 
others,  for  during  the  Middle  Ages  it  was  compara 
tively  the  only  one  particularly  studied  by  the  monks 
in  the  cells  of  their  convents.  Again,  you  said,  sir, 
it  was  the  last  (that  is,  I  think  you  said  so),  conse 
quently  it  is  the  most  perfect.  According  to  your 
theory  the  religion  of  Mahomet  ought  to  be  the  most 
perfect,  for  it  came  last ;  and  it  has  blighted  by  its 
influence  some  of  the  countries  which  before  bowed 
to  Christianity. 

I  will  ask  you,  in  conclusion,  to  be  willing  in  your 
next  lesson  to  answer  me,  for  I  cannot  yet  see  that 
your  argument  holds  good.  If  you  will  do  this,  you 
will  oblige  one  who  is  seeking  after  truth,  and  a 
constant  attendant  upon  your  lectures. 

Note  written  on  the  back  of  letter. 

PETERBORO,  N.  H.,  May,  1890. 

I  remember  as  if  it  happened  only  yesterday  my 
writing  this  letter  to  Jouffroy,  the  elegant  lecturer 
on  Philosophy  at  the  Sorbonne,  whom  many  of  our 
students  listened  to  with  the  deepest  interest  as  he 
discussed  the  highest  themes. 

Jouffroy  answered  publicly  this  letter  somewhat 
in  this  way :  A  member  of  this  class  writes  to  me 
showing  loyalty  to  truth  and  doubting  my  position, 
that  all  religions  are  developments  of  human  thought. 
They  all  improve.  He  doubts  whether  this  can  be  said 
of  Christianity,  which  was  delivered  by  its  founder 
pure  and  perfect  at  his  time.  I  will  cite  one  proof 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  47 

that  I  am  correct  in  saying  that  Christianity  has 
improved  since  it  was  established.  Christianity  says, 
"  Servants  "  (i.  e.,  slaves,  as  that  is  the  real  meaning 
of  SovXoi  in  the  passage),  "  obey  your  masters ;  "  and 
for  centuries  the  rule  was  obeyed.  We  in  France 
do  not  think  that  is  correct  doctrine  now. 

The  note  here  breaks  off  abruptly. 
Whether  this  reply  to  his  query  satisfied  the  mind  of 
the  young  student  my  father  never  stated  in  later  years. 

TO  HIS   SISTER  MARY. 

PARIS,  April  (?),  1833. 

You  wonder,  in  your  last,  who  will  be  my  Valen 
tine.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  had  entirely  forgotten 
about  valentines  and  Valentine's  Day  until  you  re 
minded  me,  but  unfortunately  it  was  then  too  late. 
Besides,  had  I  recollected,  it  would  have  been  but 
very  little  good,  so  few  damsels,  either  French  or 
American,  am  I  acquainted  with  in  this  great  city. 
I  had  a  very  pleasant  evening  at  Mrs.  Peabody's  the 
evening  before  she  left,  with  Mrs.  T.  H.  Perkins  and 
Mrs.  Tucker  of  New  York.  It  seemed  like  old  times. 
I  have  been  very  much  occupied  of  late  in  preparing 
some  observations  to  present  to  a  society  of  French 
physicians,  of  which  Jackson  is  a  member  and  of 
which  Louis  is  president.  My  object  in  doing  so  is 
to  offer  myself  as  a  member,  Louis  and  a  number  of 
the  first  men  in  it  having  asked  me  to  join.  The  rule 
is  that  one  out  of  three  candidates  shall  be  chosen, 
and  each  of  these  three  must  present  three  observa- 


48  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

tions  upon  the  same  disease  ;  i.  6.,  the  history  of  the 
individuals  who  have  been  sick  with  lung  fever,  for 
example.  I  presented  them  yesterday,  and  do  not 
know  what  will  be  the  result.  I  merely  know  that 
if  I  am  chosen  in,  it  will  bring  me  in  contact  with  a 
great  many  of  those  who  are  or  are  going  to  be  the 
first  men  in  medicine  which  France  or  Switzerland 
(some  are  Swiss)  can  produce.  If  chosen  in,  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  read  a  paper  occasionally  before  the 
society  —  in  French !  You  ask  me  when  I  am  going 
to  England.  I  will  answer  this  in  my  next,  and  will 
give  my  plans  to  father  in  detail  and  also  my  ex 
penses  during  the  ten  months  that  I  have  been  in 
Paris.  You  say  that  you  have  been  arguing  with 
father  upon  my  going  to  Italy  and  Switzerland.  I 
wish  you  may  succeed,  though  father  has  been  so 
kind  to  me  so  far  on  my  life's  journey  that  I  blush 
to  ask  any  further  favors.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
nothing  would  give  me  greater  pleasure  than  next 
spring,  after  having  finished  my  studies,  to  take  a 
trip  into  Switzerland  and  breathe  afterwards  the  pure 
air  and  feel  joyous  under  the  blue  skies  of  Italy.  I 
believe  I  am  one  of  Byron's  silent  poets,  who  have 
poetical  f  eeling  enough  when  visiting  places  renowned 
in  story,  but  unfortunately  are  unable  to  give  to  the 
world  the  result  of  their  inspired  moments. 

TO  HIS   FATHER. 

PARIS,  May  12,  1833. 

I   have   left  my  letter   to  Barnard  unsealed,  in 
order  that  you  may  read  it.     You  will  see  that  I 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  49 

was  rather  excited  when  I  wrote  it,  but  I  assure  you 
I  felt  five  times  as  much  as  I  could  express.  The 
principal  difficulty  I  feel  in  writing  to  my  friends  is 
my  utter  inability  to  express  on  paper  the  thoughts 
that  run  through  me,  and  it  is  when  thus  writing 
that  I  desire  most  to  see  you  and  tell  all  that  I  feel. 
I  had  a  talk  a  few  days  since  with  Holmes,  who  has 
been  studying  with  Dr.  Jackson,  upon  what  I  con 
sidered  the  advantages  held  out  to  a  student  in  Paris, 
especially  to  a  medical  student  when  acquainted  with 
Louis.  We  had  a  fight  (as  he  called  it)  for  an  hour, 
and  the  next  day  I  heard  of  his  having  said  that 
either  Louis  was  the  greatest  man  that  ever  lived  in 
medicine,  or  I  was  crazy.1  I  don't  think  I  am  quite 
beside  myself  yet,  and  I  think  also  that  the  longer  I 
remain  here  the  farther  I  shall  be  from  that  state  of 
mind.  But  you  will  learn  more  what  my  feelings 
are  from  my  letter  to  Barnard  than  you  will  learn  from 
this.  You  will  think  me  all  extravagance  and  say 
that  I  don't  look  at  any  of  the  difficulties  in  the 
case  ;  that  my  wished-f or  freedom  I  never  shall  see  ; 
that  our  professors  will  always  be  elementary ;  that 
folks  will  never  lecture  unless  they  are  paid,  etc. 
You  will  say  all  this,  and  much  I  fear  it  may  be  the 
case,  and  so  much  is  the  greater  disgrace  to  Boston, 
which  has  sent  so  many  of  her  young  men  to  France, 
and  so  few  have  remembered  on  their  return  the 

1  After  my  father's  death,  in  1892,  in  a  letter  sent  to  the  memorial 
meeting  of  the  Suffolk  District  Medical  Society,  Dr.  Holmes  re 
ferred  to  this  discussion,  and  generously  added,  "  He  was  right  and 
I  was  wrong."  (Boston  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal,  August  25, 
1892.)  ED. 


60  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

reception  they  met  with  in  its  capital.  You,  when  a 
young  man,  were  received  in  Salem,  and  allowed  to 
visit  the  Athenaeum  freely  ;  and  you  have  never  for 
gotten  it ;  it  has  influenced  your  mind  and  made 
you  one  of  the  most  liberal  of  the  citizens  of  Boston 
whenever  there  is  any  question  whether  science  or 
money  be  of  the  most  importance.  I  want  to  see 
everything  more  free  than  it  is  now ;  our  museums 
and  libraries  thrown  open,  at  least  at  certain  times, 
to  the  whole  public.  That  is  what  is  done  here,  and 
what  ought  to  be  done  in  America.  On  the  con 
trary,  we  are  rather  inclined  to  follow  the  example  of 
Old  England,  and  make  men  pay  for  everything.  A 
slight  affair  often  alters  the  whole  course  of  a  man's 
life.  The  difference  produced  in  Boston  by  having 
the  libraries  open  or  not  may  not  be  very  manifest 
immediately,  but  who  can  say  that  many  a  young 
man  would  not  be  excited  to  tread  in  the  paths 
of  learning  by  being  invited  thus  to  enter  them, 
whereas  he  would  continue  to  plod  on,  in  mediocrity, 
not  knowing  better,  should  the  doors  be  closed  upon 
him  until  he  can  produce  the  sum  required  in  order 
to  obtain  permission  to  partake  of  what  ought  to 
be  as  freely  given  as  the  atmosphere  we  breathe.  I 
will  express  my  determination  that  on  my  return, 
and  when  in  the  course  of  time  I  shall  perhaps  fill 
some  of  the  places  which  are  now  occupied  by  those 
older,  my  grand  aim  shall  be  to  give  to  everybody 
the  opportunity  of  study,  and  in  this  way  repay  to 
humanity  at  large  the  immense  debt  of  gratitude  I 
owe  to  France.  I  don't  expect  ever  to  rank  high 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  61 

among  the  votaries  of  learning,  but  one  spirit,  I 
pray,  I  may  always  have,  and  that  is  a  spirit  that 
never  will  lead  me  except  to  excite  those  younger 
than  myself  to  study  science,  for  itself,  and  afford 
them  every  facility  for  so  doing.  May  such  be  my 
feelings  always. 

During  the  first  year  of  my  father's  stay  in  Paris,  lie 
had  lodgings  in  the  Place  de  1'Odeon  in  the  Quartier 
Latin.  He  was,  therefore,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
spots  made  famous  by  the  terrible  scenes  of  the  French 
Revolution,  and  it  is  easy  to  see  how  the  mind  of  the 
young  student  was  influenced  by  the  halo  of  romance 
which  had  already  thrown  its  glamour  over  the  awful 
deeds  enacted  there  a  half  century  before. 

In  a  letter  to  his  sister  Mary,  who  was  about  to  leave 
school,  he  begs  her  not  to  neglect  her  reading,  especially 
of  history.  He  says,  — 

When  you  read  of  the  republic,  think  that  I  now 
dine  at  a  house  which  had  until  within  a  few  months 
the  motto  of  the  republic  upon  its  portal ;  that  in 
this  same  house  is  the  little  chamber  where  Char 
lotte  Cor  day  plunged  the  dagger  into  the  heart  of 
Marat.  Think,  too,  that  I  live  near  the  spot  where 
Marshal  Ney  was  shot ;  that  at  a  short  distance  is 
the  spot  where  were  beheaded  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie 
Antoinette,  etc.  All  these  things  may  make  the 
history  more  interesting. 


CHAPTER  HI 

LIFE    IN  EUROPE  (CONTINUED) 

IT  must  have  been  late  in  the  spring  of  1833  that  my 
father  fell  ill  with  an  attack  resembling  la  grippe,  and 
which  fortunately  left  no  unfavorable  symptoms  behind. 

Soon  after  this,  in  the  summer,  he  went  to  England 
and  Scotland,  where,  largely  due  to  the  kindness  of  Mrs. 
Somerville,  he  was  received  with  great  courtesy  by  a 
number  of  scientific  men,  among  these  being  Sir  William 
Herschel,  Professor  Airy,  the  then  Professor  of  Mathemat 
ics  at  Cambridge  and  later  Astronomer  Royal,  Sir  James 
Mackintosh  of  Edinburgh,  and  the  famous  mathematician 
of  London,  Charles  Babbage,  for  whom  he  soon  began  to 
have  the  strongest  feelings  of  friendship  and  affection. 
The  description  of  the  wonderful  "  calculating  machine," 
the  invention  of  this  remarkable  man,  and  of  the  numerous 
conversations,  in  which  the  older  man  opened  his  heart  to 
his  young  friend,  are  charmingly  given  in  journal  letters 
written  many  years  later  to  my  sister. 

His  visits  to  the  London  hospitals  and  his  attendance 
upon  the  clinics  of  some  of  the  eminent  men  of  this  time 
seem  to  have  made  an  unfavorable  impression  upon  him, 
with  the  methods  of  his  beloved  teacher,  Louis,  fresh  in 
his  mind,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  in  his  letters  to  make 
comparisons  strongly  in  favor  of  the  latter. 

TO   HIS  FATHER. 

LONDON,  August  8, 1833. 

Since  I  last  wrote  to  you  I  have  dined  at  Mr. 
Baily's  with  many  scientific  gentlemen,  and  a  very 


LIFE  IN   EUROPE  53 

pleasant  time  I  had,  I  assure  you.  Mr.  Baily  is  quite 
wealthy  and  owns  a  very  beautiful  estate  in  the 
west  end  of  the  city.  Before  dinner  he  showed  a 
great  number  of  the  original  letters  of  Flamsteed  to 
Abraham  Sharp,  which  throw  much  light  upon  the 
character  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton  and  others  who  were 
his  contemporaries.  Mr.  Baily  intends  publishing 
them.  He  read  one  extract  which  seems  to  show  Sir 
Isaac  not  to  have  been  such  a  mild  and  good-natured 
philosopher  as  his  biographers  have  generally  de 
scribed  him  to  have  been.  Flamsteed  is  speaking 
of  an  interview  he  has  had  with  Sir  Isaac.  The  latter, 
it  appears,  wished  that  the  Royal  Society,  of  which 
he  was  president,  should  have  the  control  of  Green 
wich  Observatory.  "  I  told  him,"  observes  Flam- 
steed,  "  that  all  the  instruments  were  my  own  and 
that  I  had  bought  them  with  my  own  money,"  etc. 
The  altercation  increased,  and  "  at  length  he  (Sir 
Isaac)  fired  and  called  me  all  sorts  of  abusive  names, 
—  such  as  '  puppy/  etc.  I  made  no  remark  except 
to  remind  him  of  his  anger  and  to  beg  him  to  try 
to  calm  himself.  But  this  only  made  him  the  more 
angry,"  etc.  So  that  it  appears  Sir  Isaac  was  as  other 
men  are  sometimes,  very  angry.  Before  dinner,  also, 
your  translation  was  displayed  and  admired. 

At  dinner  I  was  seated  between  Mr.  Babbage  and 
Dr.  Somerville.  "  Do  tell  me,"  says  Dr.  Somerville, 
"  can  your  father  laugh  with  the  world  ?  "  "  Can  he 
laugh  at  it?"  says  Mr.  Baily.  "  Why,  gentlemen, 
there  is  no  person  who  can  laugh  more  loudly  or  rub 
his  hands  with  more  glee  than  my  father.  There  is 


64  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

nothing  that  pleases  him  more  than  in  his  leisure 
hours  to  converse  and  laugh  with  his  friends  around 
him."  (I  then  went  through  your  operation  of 
rubbing  your  hands,  much  to  the  amusement  of  Mr. 
Baily.)  "  Well/'  said  he,  "  I  am  glad  he  has  not  seen 
us,  for  I  have  no  doubt  he  has  a  much  higher  opin 
ion  of  us  from  your  description  than  he  would  have 
were  he  to  see  us  face  to  face.  But  mind,  now,  and 
don't  make  us  too  great,  for  we  are  all  men  and 
nothing  but  men,  after  all."  But  I  have  written 
much  in  my  journal  about  all  the  great  folks,  and  I 
must  read  when  I  return. 

Next  morning  I  breakfasted  with  Sir  Astley 
Cooper,  the  first  surgeon  in  England,  having  received 
a  letter  from  him  to  Mr.  Babbage.  I  spent  a  very 
pleasant  time.  Sir  Astley  has  all  the  manners  of  a 
gentleman  with  a  great  deal  of  kindness  in  showing 
every  one  of  his  preparations  to  those  who  take  an 
interest  in  medicine.  I  have  never  seen  anything 
like  them  before,  and  was  highly  gratified  with  my 
visit. 

After  breakfast  I  went  to  Westminster  Abbey  to 
attend  the  funeral  of  Wilberforce,  the  great  and 
constant  advocate  for  the  abolition  of  slavery.  I 
anticipated  a  great  deal.  Writers  have  often  told 
of  the  impressiveness  of  the  burial  service,  and  I 
supposed  it  would  be  peculiarly  moving  when  per 
formed  in  such  a  place  and  on  such  an  occasion. 
When  the  coffin  was  about  to  be  borne  in  at  the 
great  door  of  the  old  Abbey,  and  the  organ  sounded, 
and  the  lords  of  the  land  opened  to  let  it  pass,  the 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  55 

effect  was  very  solemn.  It  was  pleasant  to  see  the 
mighty  aristocrats  of  England  thus  reverencing  the 
virtuous  dead.  Soon  the  priests  began  to  chant, 
and  they  had  such  an  air  of  indifference  that,  with 
all  my  efforts,  other  feelings  than  those  of  solemnity 
pressed  themselves  upon  me.  The  same  seemed  to 
be  the  case  with  people  around  me,  and  soon  every 
one  began  whispering  to  his  neighbor  in  order 
to  get  a  knowledge  of  the  lords  who  surrounded 
the  grave.  I  did  not  wonder  at  them  at  all,  for  no 
one  could  have  been  awed,  even  at  that  moment 
when  is  heard,  "  Earth  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust 
to  dust."  At  the  close  the  organ  sounded  again 
very  beautifully  and  solemnly  among  the  lofty 
arches  of  the  cathedral ;  almost  every  one  seemed 
struck  with  it,  and  yet  a  moment  afterwards  all  was 
finished,  and  each  was  saluting  his  neighbor  as  if 
nothing  had  happened.  When  seeing  this  indiffer 
ence  I  often  think  of  your  quotation,  "  Toll  not  the 
beU  of  death  for  me."  .  .  . 

I  have  seen  everything  worthy  of  being  seen  in 
my  profession.  There  are  some  men  who  are  an 
honor  to  it ;  others  who  really  are  something  like  a 

disgrace  to  it.    I  followed  Dr. (among  others), 

one  of  the  chief  physicians  of  London,  in  his  visit 
at  the  hospital.  I  had  been  introduced  to  him  pre 
viously.  His  main  object  seemed  to  be  to  make  the 
students  laugh.  I  was  completely  disgusted.  Such 
is  the  case  with  most  of  them.  They  talk  much,  but 
know  little.  There  are  several  splendid  museums 
which  I  have  visited  and  studied.  It  is  rather 


56  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

singular  that  I  should  have  met  one  of  the  chief 
professors  of  Edinburgh,  who  is  visiting  London, 
at  three  different  museums.  We  are  now  on  quite 
intimate  terms,  and  he  has  given  me  his  card, 
and  a  promise  to  show  me  everything  worthy  of 
being  seen  at  his  city,  which  I  shall  probably  have 
arrived  at  in  a  few  days,  as  I  shall  leave  here  for  the 
north  on  Monday  next,  12th.  I  shall  go  by  the 
way  of  Oxford  and  Liverpool,  and  shall  be  gone 
from  London  about  four  or  five  weeks,  and  shall 
return  to  Paris  so  as  to  spend  next  winter  with 
Louis,  always  premising  that  the  plan  meets  your 
approbation.  .  .  . 

I  asked  to-day  of  Baring  Brothers  their  account 
up  to  my  time  of  leaving  France,  and  you  will  see 
the  result  of  the  inclosed  agrees  very  nearly  with  my 
expenses  as  shown  by  my  account-book,  in  which  I 
have  put  ah1  my  expenses,  even  the  most  minute. 
You  will  find  that  during  the  last  year  I  spent 
$580,  but  I  have  been  certainly  as  economical  as  I 
could  consistently  with  your  last  words,  "  Spend 
what  you  find  necessary  for  the  advancement  in 
knowledge  of  your  profession."  Under  this  impres 
sion  I  have  taken  very  many  courses  of  private  in 
struction  when  I  thought  it  advantageous. 

On  the  12th  of  August  he  journeyed  northward  toward 
Scotland,  and  here  for  four  or  five  weeks  he  satisfied  to 
the  full  his  love  for  the  romantic  in  walking  through  the 
regions  immortalized  by  Burns  and  Scott. 

None  of  his  letters  from  Scotland  have  been  preserved, 
unfortunately ;  but  in  some  reminiscences  of  European 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  57 

travels  written  many  years  later,  I  have  found  the  follow 
ing  extract  descriptive  of  his  journey  :  — 

ALLUSIONS  TO   WALKING  TRIP  IN   SCOTLAND,   1833.1 

My  journey  was  taken  on  foot  with  my  pack  on 
my  back,  with  my  mother's  Bible  in  one  pocket  and 
Burns's  poems  in  the  other ;  a  singular  combination, 
it  may  be  thought,  and  yet,  after  all,  not  so  strange  if 
you  think  of  the  varied  contents  of  the  two.  David 
with  his  magnificent  Psalms  and  human  frailties, 
combined  with  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  St. 
Paul's  eloquence  on  Mars  Hill,  are  not  wholly  incon 
sistent  with  the  homely  beauties  of  the  "  Cotter's 
Saturday  Night,"  the  perfection  of  a  pure  human  love 
felt  in  all  that  the  poet  writes  of  his  "  Highland 
Mary ; "  and  certainly  there  cannot  be  a  more  com 
plete  "  confession  "  (as  Wordsworth  says),  "  at  once 
devout,  poetical,  and  human,"  than  the  "Bard's 
Epitaph,"  when 

"  Thoughtless  follies  laid  him  low 
And  stained  his  name." 

Truly  Burns  and  the  Bible  might  be  companions 
of  a  youth  when  walking,  as  a  citizen  of  the  world, 
through  the  picturesque  and  famous  Highlands  or 
Lowlands  of  Scotland.  You  may  well  believe  that 
after  joyously  going,  under  the  guidance  of  Scott, 
through  the  Trossachs,  and  having  landed  on  Ellen's 
Isle,  in  Loch  Katrine,  I  made  my  way  to  Ayr  and 
Greenock,  the  land  of  Burns.  How  pleasant  to 
walk  by  the  "  Banks  and  Braes  of  Bonnie  Doon," 

1  From  volume  ix.,  Book  X.,  page  55  of  his  Manuscripts. 


58  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

and  to  cross  the  "  Brig  "  at  whose  "  key-stane  "  Tarn 
O'Shanter's  filly  lost  her  tail  under  the  sharp  grip 
of  one  of  the  witches  ("  Nanny "  was  her  name) 
whom  Tarn,  in  his  speedy  flight  to  get  across  the 
mid-stream,  could  not  wholly  escape  from  !  With  a 
certain  reverence  I  went  to  Greenock  to  stand  by 
the  grave  of  "  Highland  Mary/'  and  found  no  stone 
to  mark  it.  This  so  shocked  me  that  I  wrote  my 
first  newspaper  squib  for  the  local  paper,  complaining 
(incog,  of  course)  that  an  American  should  come 
thousands  of  miles  to  visit  the  spot  made  sacred  to 
him  by  Burns  and  find  no  memorial  raised  by  Scot 
land  to  the  sweet  maiden  who  had  so  immortalized 
the  land  of  her  birth  by  the  pure  love  she  had  in 
spired  in  Scotland's  bard.  The  spot  where  she  was 
buried  was  pointed  out  to  me  by  the  old  sexton  who 
cared  for  the  graveyard.  This  worthy  was  a  quiet, 
matter-of-fact  person,  and  received  my  enthusiasm 
with  a  severity  appropriate  for  a  grave-digger ;  but 
he  quite  spoiled,  for  a  time,  at  least,  and  in  his 
presence,  my  ardor,  for  to  my  simple  (as  I  took  it 
to  be)  exclamation,  "  I  would  give  everything  if  I 
could  only  write  as  Burns  did !  "  he  said,  looking  at 
me  with  some  curiosity,  "  Ay,  young  man,  an  do 
ye  nae  think  you  might  do  something  better  than 
that?"  Like  my  friend  on  the  Eoman  Forum  who 
found  it  a  "  mere  heap  of  old  stones,"  I  decided 
that  the  grave-digger  and  I  could  not  sympathize ; 
but,  in  fact,  he,  of  all  I  met,  was  the  only  Scotch 
man  who  did  not  love  and  reverence  the  memory  of 
Burns.  I  talked  as  I  walked  along  the  road  with 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  59 

every  one  I  overtook.  The  Parson  and  Peasant,  all 
with  one  accord  were  proud  of  the  Poet.  At  one 
time  a  farmer  and  his  daughter,  driving  home  from 
the  mill,  allowed  me  to  sit  between  them,  and  the 
maiden  sang  sweetly  to  me,  as  we  jogged  along  the 
winding  road,  — 

"  Of  a'  the  airts  the  wind  can  blaw, 

I  dearly  lo'e  the  West, 
For  there  the  bonnie  lassie  lives, 
The  lassie  I  lo'e  best." 

Afterwards  I  took  my  seat  by  the  drivers  of  the 
public  coaches.  They,  too,  knew  all  about  Burns, 
and  seemed  pleased  at  my  enthusiasm.  One  of 
them  told  me  the  following  anecdote,  which,  though 
not  to  be  found  in  my  Cunningham  edition  of 
Burns,  I  doubt  not  is  as  true  as  many  anecdotes 
devoutly  believed  in  by  the  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society  or  even  the  Bostonian  Society,  with  all  their 
learning,  about  American  notable  events.  At  the 
time  this  incident  occurred,  the  town  was  on  the 
point  of  having  its  corporation  dinner.  The  old 
incumbent  in  office  (whether  mayor  or  not  I  do  not 
know,  but  we  will  call  him  mayor  or  "  mare  ")  was 
going  to  leave  and  one  newly  elected  was  to  take 
his  place.  Unfortunately,  Burns,  the  night  before 
the  celebration,  having  taken  too  much  "home 
brewed  ale,"  put  his  horse  into  his  neighbor's  field, 
who  crustily  complained  of  the  trespass  and  had 
the  animal  put  in  the  "Pound."  The  next  day, 
Burns,  to  his  horror,  received  a  note  from  the  re 
tiring  magistrate,  stating  the  facts  in  the  case  and 


60  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

informing   him   that   he   must   pay   expenses.     In 
despair  Burns  cried  out,  — 

"  Was  ever  mortal  man  sae  fretted  ? 
The  maister  drunk,  the  horse  committed  ! 
But  as  for  thee,  puir  beast,  take  thou  nae  care, 
Thou  still  wilt  be  a  horse  when  he's  nae  mair" 

And  my  coachee  assured  me  that  the  prompt  wit 
of  the  bard  so  pleased  the  magistrates  that  the  fine 
was  remitted,  or  paid  by  others,  and  he  was  invited 
as  a  guest  to  the  corporation  dinner ! 

Now,  when  I  am  not  sure  of  a  fact,  I  put  the 
question  upon  the  "  doctrine  of  chances,"  and  in 
this  case  I  summarily  decide  that  the  anecdote  was 
exactly  true  in  all  particulars  !  Who  can  deny  it  ? 
It  was  so  told  to  me !  "  Ergo  Q.  E.  D." 

I  was  not  satisfied  with  my  visit  to  the  unnamed 
grave  of  the  "  sweet  Highland  Mary,"  and  hearing 
that  her  nephew,  William  Anderson,  lived  at  Dum 
barton,  and  that  he  had  the  Bible  given  Mary  by 
Burns,  I  determined  to  visit  him.  I  was  richly 
repaid.  The  Bible  was  in  two  very  small  volumes, 
the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  It  seemed  that, 
for  a  time,  Mary  had  one  and  Burns  the  other.  I 
observed  that  the  former  was  more  worn  than  the 
other;  evidently  Mary  had  used  hers  more  freely 
than  her  lover  had  used  his  share.  In  one  of  them 
was  a  soft  brown  lock  of  hair  said  to  have  been  cut 
from  Mary's  hair  after  her  death.  I  wanted  to  buy 
the  two  volumes,  but  found  that  my  funds  would 
fall  short  if  I  paid  the  price  set  upon  them.  I  am 
glad  now  that  I  was  unable  to  take  them,  but  I 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  61 

suggested  to  the  owner  that  I  might  possibly  send 
for  them  from  America.  Had  I  obtained  them, 
they  would  not  be  where  they  are  now ;  viz.,  more 
appropriately  placed  among  the  relics  at  Burns's 
Monument  at  Ayr.  Subsequently  to  my  visit,  they 
were  brought  by  their  owner  to  the  far  West  of  this 
country,  and  there  remained  until  finally  summoned 
to  their  present  resting-place  by  the  builders  of  the 
Burns  Monument.  Finding  that  there  was  a  possi 
ble  purchaser  of  the  volumes,  the  owner  readily  con 
sented  to  give  me  a  very  small  part  of  the  lock  of 
hair. 

Doubtless  there  are  some  who  will  deem  it  a  very  sen 
timental  act  on  a  young  man's  part  to  purchase  a  lock 
of  Highland  Mary's  hair  and  carry  it  about  with  him 
carefully  preserved  in  a  waistcoat  pocket  for  years. 
My  father  himself  often  laughingly  alluded  to  the  terms 
applied  to  him  by  his  brothers  and  sisters  when  he  was 
thought  as  a  boy  to  be  too  much  given  to  dreaming. 
"  Oh,  Henry,  you  are  so  sentimental !  "  "I  have  always 
been  glad  that  I  am  so,"  he  would  laughingly  add. 

The  fact  remains  that  for  twenty-five  years  the  lock  of 
hair  was  carried  in  his  pocket,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
was  transferred  by  my  father  to  a  handsome  gold  seal 
made  specially  for  the  purpose.  Later  he  presented  it 
to  one  of  his  sons,  who  continues  to  wear  it,  and  prizes  it 
as  a  precious  heirloom. 

On  the  lid  of  the  locket  is  inscribed,  "  Highland  Mary's 
Hair.  Given  to  me  at  Greenock,  Sept.  14,  1833,  by  her 
nephew,  William  Anderson.  It  is  part  of  the  lock  pre 
served  in  the  Bible  given  her  by  Burns.  The  Bible  and 
remainder  of  the  hair  are  now  at  Burns's  Monument  at 


62  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Ayr.  Both  are  alluded  to  by  Cunningham  (Burns's 
4  Life/  vol.  v.,  page  27). 

44  Having  been  carried  in  my  pocket  twenty-five  years, 
I  now  place  the  relic  in  this  seal.  Jan.  25,  1859." 

In  the  autumn  he  returned  to  Paris  and  resumed  his 
work  with  Louis. 

TO  HIS   FATHER. 

PARIS,  October  29, 1833. 

I  am  now  again  fairly  engaged  in  studying  patho 
logical  anatomy  and  the  history  of  disease.  My 
friend  Stewartson  and  I  are  the  only  persons  ad 
mitted  within  Louis's  domains  after  the  morning 
visit,  so  that  we  can  do  every  and  any  thing  we  wish. 
I  go  twice  a  day  and  make  a  record  of  all  the  in 
teresting  cases  ;  and  I  am  sure,  with  the  opportunity 
given  me  by  my  worthy  instructor,  and  his  zeal  for 
study  influencing  my  mind,  I  shall  pass  the  winter 
very  profitably.  I  am  afraid  from  your  silence  on 
the  subject  that  your  opinion  is  rather  different 
from  mine.  I  will  put  one  question  to  you,  and  you 
may  judge  if  I  have  done  rightly.  Suppose  you 
had  come  to  France  for  the  purpose  of  studying 
mathematics,  intending  as  I  did  to  pass  a  year  in 
Paris  and  a  second  year  in  Great  Britain.  Suppose 
you  should  happen  to  fall  upon  a  gentleman  very 
far  advanced  in  the  most  abstruse  points  of  your 
science.  Suppose  he  clears  up  the  difficulties  which 
previously  seemed  insurmountable,  lays  open  to  your 
view  what  was  before  all  chaos,  gives  order  where 
there  was  no  order  before.  Suppose,  too,  this  same 
man  to  have  a  mind  which  is  constantly  seeking  for 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  63 

something  farther  —  always  earnest  to  find  some 
thing  that  has  been  previously  hidden  from  men's 
eyes.  Finally,  suppose  he  excites  in  you  a  most 
earnest  love  of  your  branch  of  science  ;  shows  you 
the  best  manner  of  pursuing  your  studies,  and  gives 
you  such  opportunities  for  so  doing  that,  before  you 
finish  your  first  year,  you  find  in  conversing  with 
men  who  are  to  be  your  teachers  in  Great  Britain, 
they  know  not  more  and  oftentimes  not  so  much 
about  the  higher  mathematics  as  yourself.  You 
certainly  would  not  think  of  spending  a  year  in 
Great  Britain  when  you  might  have  such  advantages 
in  Paris.  It  would  seem  to  everybody  like  a  specimen 
of  the  grossest  egotism  should  I  say  I  was  similarly 
situated.  But  of  this  I  am  very  certain,  that  one 
who  is  now  considered  as  the  first  clinical  professor 
in  London  passed  a  number  of  patients  as  being 
merely  feeble  who  to  me  had  all  the  signs  of  con 
sumption.  The  gentleman  was  so  very  kind,  after 
having  passed  two  wards,  as  to  show  a  few  plain 
cases  of  this  disease,  but  I  had  a  great  mind  to  tell 
him  I  thought  he  had  left  some  behind  ;  that  is,  I 
felt  as  everybody  else  does,  that  England  and  Scot 
land  have  retained  the  names  of  schools  of  medicine, 
but  the  schools  themselves  have  fallen  from  their 
honorable  position  which  they  had  some  fifty  or 
more  years  ago.  Though  I  have  chosen  accord 
ing  to  the  best  of  my  judgment,  still  I  would  like 
to  hear  your  candid  opinion  of  my  doings.  I  am 
anxious  to  receive  it ;  I  know  not  why  I  have  re 
ceived  no  letters  from  anybody  from  the  last  packet 


64:  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

—  unless   they  be  in  London.     I  have  lost  them. 
My  love  to  all. 

Your  son 

H. 

TO   HIS   SISTER   MARY. 

PARIS,  November,  1833. 

Tell  father  I  wish  he  would  let  me  know  his 
opinion  about  my  change  of  plans,  for  I  feel  troubled 
at  thinking  that  perhaps  he  thinks  I  ought  to  have 
remained  in  England  during  this  winter.  Thank 
Heaven  I  did  not.  My  time  would  have  been  worse 
than  wasted.  I  should  have  had  no  hospitals  to 
enter  and  spend  most  of  the  day  in,  as  I  have  now 
at  La  Pitie.  Instead  of  following  every  day  a  pro 
fessor  who  is  allowed  by  almost  every  one  who  knows 
him  to  be  the  first  man  for  knowledge  of  disease, 
I  should  have  been  obliged  to  follow  one  twice  a 
week  only  ( is  thought  the  chief  man  in  Lon 
don)  who,  when  I  was  in  London,  pointed  out  to 
me  circumstances  as  very  curious  which  are  mere 
commonplace  things  in  the  wards  of  Louis.  Thrice 
happy  am  I  that  I  have  trod  on  French  soil,  and 
breathed  a  French  atmosphere  ;  have  known  Louis. 
But  still  I  wish  father  would  tell  me  his  opinion 
frankly.  Give  my  love  to  mother  and  all.  Tell 
Anne  Greene 1  that  though  I  speak  not  often  of  her 
she  is  often  brought  to  my  mind  by  the  words  she 
pinned  upon  my  needle-case.  I  went  to  an  Ameri 
can  soiree  the  other  evening,  and  was  delighted  with 

1  Afterward  Mrs.  Wendell  Phillips. 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  65 

the  sight  of  American  beauty.  There  were  young 
ladies  from  the  North,  the  South,  the  East,  and  the 
West.  There  were  the  Misses  Atherton,  with  their 
bright  black  eyes  and  rare  hair.  I  should  have 
fallen  in  love  with  one  or  the  other  of  these  repre 
sentatives  of  Philadelphia  had  I  not  steeled  my  heart 
against  any  charms  which  the  daughters  of  Eve  may 
have  on  this  side  of  the  water  (father  and  Ingersoll 
will  recollect  a  Wistar  party  we  attended  at  their 
father's  house).  In  addition  to  the  Athertons  was 
one  fair  brunette  from  New  Orleans.  There  was 
also  a  fair  blue-eyed  lassie  from  New  York  who  was 
very  agreeable,  and  last  but  not  least  came  Madame 
Otis  of  Boston.  I  danced  with  her  the  first  time 
she  danced  in  Paris,  and  she  observed  that  Nat  was 
the  last  or  nearly  the  last  one  she  danced  with  be 
fore  leaving  America. 

December  5, 1833. 

On  the  evening  of  the  29th  ult.  three  hours  after 
I  had  given  my  letter  to  Stoddard,  which  contained 
my  project  in  regard  to  a  visit  to  Italy,  I  returned 

to  my  boarding-house  and  there  found .    I  was 

well  pleased  to  see  him,  but  much  more  to  see  the 
letter  he  had  for  me  from  father.  I  felt  afraid 
almost  to  ask  the  favor,  and  therefore  it  is  doubly 
pleasant  to  have  my  wishes  anticipated.  Thank  fa 
ther  and  mother  most  heartily  for  their  kindness  to 
me.  I  doubt  not  but  that  I  had  many  able  advocates 
among  the  younger  members  of  the  family.  All  that 
I  can  say  is  that  I  thank  all  who  have  lent  their 


66  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

voices  towards  gaining  for  me  permission  to  visit  the 
classic  shores  of  Italy.  I  am  already  half  crazy  at 
the  thought  of  the  pleasure  I  have  in  prospect,  and 
lament  only  that  I  have  not  at  present  any  person  in 
my  mind's  eye  with  whom  I  should  be  willing  to 
make  the  tour.  ...  I  believe  I  must  go  alone,  as  I 
traveled  in  Scotland,  and  then  I  had  no  one  to  dis 
turb  me,  except  when  I  wished  it. 

I  am  living  so  near  La  Pitie  now  that  I  am 
obliged  to  take  walks  regularly,  morning  and  even 
ing.  The  Garden  of  Plants  is  close  at  hand,  and  I 
generally  make  it  my  place  for  exercise  of  the  body 
now,  as  it  was  for  the  mind  last  spring.  In  these 
walks  I  renew  my  acquaintance  with  the  long-neg 
lected  classics,  and  Virgil  with  his  beautiful  hexame 
ters,  and  Catullus  with  his  songs  in  honor  of  Lesbia, 
have  become  my  companions  as  in  my  younger  days. 
Now  I  meet  them  with  pleasure  and  find  daily  new 
beauties,  but  in  early  times  I  looked  upon  them  as 
taskmasters  and  not  as  the  sweet  poets  I  find  them 
now.  It  is  a  pity  that  most  of  us  form,  from  our 
school-days'  troubles,  such  unpleasant  impressions 
of  the  Latin  and  Greek  writers.  And  it  is  hard  to 
obviate  the  difficulty.  .  .  . 

My  watch  and  my  eyes  tell  me  that  it  is  half  past 
midnight  and  that  it  is  time  I  was  in  bed,  so  I  shall 
bid  you  farewell.  Write  soon.  You  ought  to  have 
told  me  how  Jackson  was  by  the  last  packet.  We 
have  all  been  in  alarm  about  him  because  we  have 
only  received  a  mere  word  in  Warren's  letter  stating 
he  was  very  sick.  Should  Jackson  be  taken  away, 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  67 

it  would  be  truly,  as  Louis  said,  when  I  told  of  the 
news,  "  affreux."  He  would  be  an  immense  loss  to 
his  friends  and  to  medicine.1  The  Boston  people 
will  know  ere  long  the  many  good  things  there 
are  in  him. 


TO   HIS   FATHER. 

PARIS,  December  13,  1833. 

In  your  last  you  give  me  full  consent  to  go  to 
Italy,  and  be  assured  that  by  so  doing  you  have 
granted  me  a  favor  which  I  felt  almost  ashamed  to 
ask,  though  I  have  always  looked  with  a  longing 
eye  towards  the  country  of  the  "  Mantuan  bards." 
I  compared  my  opportunities  with  those  of  the  rest 
of  the  family,  and  felt  as  if  I  ought  to  keep  silence. 
My  desire  of  visiting  Italy,  as  you  before  this  have 
seen,  overcame  all  the  arguments  to  the  contrary  that 
my  reason  brought  forwards.  But  I  am  extremely 
glad  that  before  my  wish  was  expressed  to  you,  your 
permission  was  already  in  Paris  ;  for  had  you  granted 
my  request,  I  should  always  have  thought  that  you 
had  done  so  because  unwilling  to  refuse  me,  and  not 
because  you  really  wished  I  should  go  there.  All 
my  friends,  both  those  who  have  been  and  those  who 
have  not,  are  envying  me  the  pleasure  I  have  in  pros 
pect.  I  am  still  much  engaged  with  my  hospital, 
twice  a  day,  and  gain  much  every  Saturday  evening 
when  I  read  a  paper  before  our  society.  Conse- 

1  His  fears  for  his  friend's  health  were  soon  to  be  realized.  Not 
long  afterwards  he  received  the  news  of  Dr.  Jackson's  untimely  death, 
a  loss  which  was  felt  deeply  by  all. 


68  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

quently  I  shall  not  leave  Paris  for  some  time  to  come. 
In  f act,  I  shall  get  two  full  years  of  study  unless  by 
going  a  month  earlier  to  Rome  I  can  hear  the  Mise 
rere  chanted  in  the  Sistine  Chapel.  Mother  must  not 
expect  me  home  before  September,  unless  I  go  early. 
You  mention  that  if  I  wish  you  will  continue  my 
accounts  with  Baring  and  Co.  from  May,  1834.  I 
certainly  should  like  it  much,  more  especially  as  I 
may  be  at  some  expense  on  your  account  and  that  of 
the  Boston  public.  You  stare,  but  I  say  naught  but 
the  truth.  When  in  London  I  saw  much  of  the  Bab- 
bage  machine,  and  was  much  pleased  as  well  as  aston 
ished  at  it.  Mr.  Babbage  gave  me  full  liberty  to  take 
all  the  drawings  I  wished,  but  unfortunately,  having 
never  attended  at  all  to  designing,  my  plans  were  mis 
erably  done  and  would  have  given  you  no  new  idea 
upon  the  subject.  Herschel  Babbage,  the  son  of  the 
inventor,  has  kindly  given  me  the  projection  of  one 
side  of  the  machine,  and  promises  to  send  me  more, 
but  still  I  think  there  is  nothing  like  a  model  of  at 
least  one  of  the  component  parts  (for,  after  all,  where 
one  understands  one  of  these  parts  one  understands 
the  whole).  I  think  I  should  like  to  have  it  presented 
before  the  members  of  the  Mechanics'  Institution. 
How  can  one  tell  the  effect  which  the  examination  of 
such  a  machine  might  produce  upon  the  mind  of  some 
of  our  young  and  intelligent  mechanics  ?  It  might 
open  trains  of  thought  which  perhaps  would  never 
come  into  their  minds  without.  Having  a  feeling 
that  I  should  be  benefiting  Boston  at  the  same  time 
that  I  should  gratify  you,  I  spoke  to  a  mechanic,  and 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  69 

called  twice  with  him  in  order  to  see  this  wonder 
working  machine,  but  unfortunately  both  times  some 
thing  prevented  the  fulfillment  of  my  wishes.  He 
promised  to  visit  Mr.  Babbage  after  my  departure  from 
London,  and  let  me  know  whether  he  could  do  what 
I  wished.  I  have  not  yet  heard  from  him,  and  intend 
soon  to  write  to  ask  about  it.  If  I  hear,  I  shall  let 
you  know.  The  compliment  which  the  gentlemen 
of  Boston  and  Salem  have  recently  paid  to  you 
pleases  me  very  much,  though  were  I  to  criticise  the 
letter  as  I  undertake  to  criticise  Mary's,  I  should  say 
that  in  some  parts  is  shown  a  lack  of  good  taste  ; 
but  still  it  is  a  delight  to  me  to  see  you  live  to  enjoy 
your  own  fame  —  a  thing  not  often  granted  to  men. 
It  is  delightful  to  see  that  on  both  sides  of  the  water 
you  are  respected  as  the  man  of  science  in  our  coun- 
try. 

Tell  mother  that  I  am  well  and  no  rheumatism  to 
trouble  me  since  enveloping  myself  in  flannel  waist 
coats  and  wearing  wooden  shoes  ! 

Good-by.  Your  son. 

TO   HIS   SISTER  MART. 

PARIS,  February  6,  1834. 

I  went  a  few  days  since  to  attend  the  funeral  of 
Mr.  Duleny,  a  deputy  of  the  opposition,  who  had 
been  killed  in  a  duel  with  one  of  the  supporters  of 
Louis  Philippe.  You  will  see  the  account  of  the 
duel  in  the  papers,  but  I  want  to  tell  you  what  I 
saw  and  heard.  The  corpse  was  placed  in  a  mag- 


70  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

nificent  car  drawn  by  four  black  horses  dressed  in 
black  feathers  and  trappings,  etc.  On  all  sides  it 
was  surrounded  with  troops,  which  presented  a  most 
martial  and  solemn  aspect,  as,  glittering  in  the  sun 
shine,  they  paced  along  upon  their  horses.  Before 
and  behind  the  military  were  immense  crowds  of 
people  walking,  in  order  to  pay  their  last  respects  to 
the  memory  of  one  of  the  most  zealous  supporters 
of  their  cause.  The  boulevards  were  crowded  to 
excess  where  the  procession  was  passing,  and  from 
time  to  time  the  people  broke  through  the  silence 
with  their  cries  of  "  Vive  la  liberte  et  la  republique." 
As  soon  as  this  last  took  place  the  troops  shouted 
"  Vive  le  roi "  and  the  -trumpeters  made  their 
trumpets  to  send  forth  their  shrillest  notes.  (I  will 
merely  state  that  this  was  only  one  of  the  means 
the  Government  used  for  quelling  the  rebellious 
feeling  of  the  multitude.  In  fact,  something  much 
more  effectual  was  placed  near  the  Tuileries,  for  there 
were  cannon  planted  upon  Place  V  en  dome  and  every 
arrangement  made  to  withstand  any  popular  rising. 
Even  some  of  the  troops  of  the  line  had  their 
backs  laden  with  all  the  requisites  for  binding  up 
the  wounded.)  Nothing,  however,  happened  until 
the  arrival  of  the  body  at  Pere  la  Chaise.  Whilst 
prayers  were  being  offered  at  the  chapel,  the  people 
collected  about  the  open  grave.  Every  monument 
and  tree  in  the  vicinity  was  filled.  Many  a  rich 
mausoleum  will  mourn  the  desolation  produced  by 
the  funeral  of  Duleny.  Sufficient  arrangements  had 
not  been  made  to  hinder  the  crowd  from  pressing 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  71 

too  near,  and  consequently  some  very  unpleasant 
accidents  happened.  Twice  did  I  see  two  or  three 
individuals  pushed  into  the  grave,  and  once  fairly 
upon  the  coffin.  It  was  anything  but  a  ceremony 
worthy  of  such  a  consecrated  spot  as  Pere  la  Chaise. 
I  thought  often  of  father's  expression,  "Toll  not 
the  bell  of  death  for  me." 

At  length,  however,  the  grave  was  filled,  and  the 
air  rang  with  "  Vive  Lafayette,"  for  the  venerable 
old  man  was  seen  approaching  leaning  on  two 
friends,  and  preparing  to  pay  his  last  tribute  over 
the  grave  of  the  departed  patriot.  He  addressed 
the  multitude  in  a  few  words,  but  so  faint  was  his 
voice  that  not  one  word  that  escaped  from  his  lips 
reached  my  ears.  Several  other  addresses  were  de 
livered,  but  they  were  little  else  than  appeals  to  party 
feelings.  After  all  was  finished,  the  people  pre 
pared  to  receive  Lafayette  as  he  descended  from 
the  place  of  interment  towards  his  carriage.  He 
came  supported  by  Arago  (father  knows  him  well), 
and  the  air  of  the  "  city  of  the  dead "  was  again 
filled  with  shouts  in  honor  of  the  patriarch.  But 
this  was  not  all.  The  horses  were  taken  from  his 
carriage  and  he  was  dragged  in  triumph  by  the 
people,  singing  the  Marseillaise.  This  was  contrary 
to  the  wish  of  the  general,  and  he  alighted  at  the 
first  house  he  met,  and  probably  would  have  re 
mained  there  all  night  had  not  the  horses  and  the 
coachman  been  replaced  to  their  respective  situations. 
When  this  was  done  the  carriage  drove  off  "au 
galop,"  and  the  republicans  with  naked  arms  and 


72  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

"bonnets  rouges"  were   left  to  sing  their  songs 
alone. 

Soon  everything  was  quiet,  and  no  one  would  have 
supposed  that  anything  had  happened  except  from 
the  number  of  troops  seen  patrolling  the  streets. 
Had  Louis  Philippe  not  had  40,000  troops  in  Paris, 
perhaps  we  should  have  had  another  "  three  days." 

H. 

TO  HIS  MOTHER. 

February  13,  1834. 

I  have  not  addressed  a  letter  personally  to  you 
for  some  time,  though  I  assure  you  not  a  day 
passes  without  my  thinking  of  you.  In  truth,  this 
could  not  be  otherwise,  for  whenever  I  think  of  my 
self,  of  my  own  feelings,  I  am  naturally  led  to  think 
of  that  one  who  in  early  days  instilled  into  me  good 
opinions.  I  have  talked  much  about  you,  my  dear 
mother,  with  one  or  two  friends ;  and  if  ever  I  feel 
enthusiastic,  if  ever  I  feel  grateful  for  my  lot  in 
this  world,  it  is  when  conversing  with  my  few  inti 
mate  friends  upon  your  virtues.  Since  I  have  been 
in  Europe,  my  character,  so  far  as  I  can  judge,  has 
been  materially  altered.  There  were  subjects  upon 
which,  when  in  America,  I  dared  not  speak,  though 
I  thought  much,  for  fear  of  what  the  world  would 
say.  The  idea  of  conversing  with  one  of  my  com 
panions  on  the  subject  of  the  relation  in  which  man 
stands  to  his  Maker,  I  never  could  bear.  I  dreaded 
the  scorn  of  the  world.  In  truth,  in  our  happy 
New  England,  the  state  of  society  is  such  that  one 
is  not  induced  to  do  so.  But  since  I  have  been  in 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  73 

Paris  I  hear  such  opinions  advanced  by  the  common 
mass  of  the  people  that  I  have  been  led  still  more 
to  think  and  finally  to  converse  upon  religion.  The 
same  effect  has  been  produced  upon  most  of  my 
Boston  friends.  Many  pleasant  conversations  have 
I  had  with  Jackson  and  Copley  Greene  during  my 
sojourn  in  Europe,  especially  about  the  time  of  the 
death  of  the  father  of  the  latter. 

My  motto  I  have  taken,  and  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
act  up  to  it.  I  am  sure,  if  I  do  so,  always  to  be 
contented.  It  is  taken  from  Spinoza  who,  with  many 
errors,  had  many  beautiful  precepts. 

"  Beatitudo  non  est  premium  virtutis,  sed  virtus  ipsa." 

Some  of  the  family  may  think  me  a  parson,  a  devotee ; 
but  no,  I  am  far  from  it.  I  am  far  more  liberal 
now  than  I  was  before  visiting  Europe.  But  I  am 
old  enough  now  to  think  a  little  for  myself,  and  of 
what  I  ought  to  do.  I  accept,  with  Burns,  the  last 
part  of  "  Jennie  Dean's  Grace : "  "  Lord,  help  us 
to  lead  a  gude  life,  for  a  gude  life  makes  a  gude 
end  —  at  least,  it  helps  weel."  I  go  farther  than 
Jennie,  and  declare  that  none  can  lead  a  happy  life 
without  a  "  gude  "  one.  Consequently  I  have  taken 
for  my  motto  the  maxim  of  Spinoza  mentioned 
above.  How  shall  I  ever  repay  you,  my  dear  mother, 
for  what  you  have  done  for  me?  How  often  do  I 
think  of  your  calling  us  together  after  church  on 
Sunday  afternoons.  Had  you  not  instilled  into  me 
at  those  times  good  feelings,  I  should  not  have  the 


74  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

happy  ones  which  now  influence  me.  As  I  wrote  to 
one  not  long  since :  "  Often,  often  do  I  ask  that  a 
blessing  may  descend  upon  the  head  of  my  invalid 
mother,  who  first  taught  me  the  prayers  of  child 
hood."  May  you  always  enjoy  happiness  as  you 
tell  me  you  have  had  heretofore,  and  I  am  sure 
you  will,  for  you  show  in  yourself  an  exemplification 
of  the  truth  of  my  remarks  in  regard  to  the  way 
of  obtaining  happiness  in  this  life.  Father  also  is 
another  example;  for  certainly  no  one  has  carried 
to  a  greater  extent  the  cultivation  of  his  intellect, 
and  father  would  die  had  he  not  some  one  like  your 
self  to  be  the  confidant  of  his  joys  and  sorrows. 
May  blessings  attend  you  both,  and  may  the  time 
be  far  distant  when  you  must  be  taken  from  us.  At 
any  rate,  may  never  one  of  us  cause  your  "gray 
hairs  to  go  down  with  sorrow  to  the  grave." 

Your  son  H. 

P.  S.  You  may  think  this  a  singular  letter,  but 
I  like  at  times  to  write  exactly  my  inmost  thoughts. 

Either  late  in  February  or  early  in  March,  my  father 
began  his  journey  southward  towards  Italy,  and  we  have 
already  learned  by  his  letters  how  cordially  his  wishes 
were  encouraged  by  his  father  and  other  members  of  his 
immediate  family.  His  two  brothers,  Nat  and  Ingersoll, 
between  whom  and  himself  there  had  always  been  the 
warmest  brotherly  affection  since  earliest  days,  gave  him 
substantial  and  generous  proof  of  their  desire  that  he 
should  make  the  most  of  the  proposed  journey.  Their 
letters  to  him  are  filled  with  proofs  of  their  loving  interest 
in  his  welfare.  A  few  letters  only,  written  at  this  time, 
have  been  preserved.  For  the  most  part  they  are  filled 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  75 

merely  with  description  of  plans  and,  with  some  few 
exceptions,  are  of  no  special  interest ;  but  the  whole  trip 
was  one  filled  with  delight  to  himself.  Whether  pictur 
ing  vividly  gladiatorial  contests  in  the  Coliseum  at  Kome ; 
whether  musing  at  the  temples  of  Paestum;  whether 
standing  in  the  deserted  streets  of  ruined  Pompeii  or 
delighting  in  the  art  treasures  of  Naples,  Florence,  and 
Venice,  he  was  every  moment  laying  up  for  himself  thou 
sands  of  delightful  memories  which  gave  him  pleasure 
to  the  end  of  his  life,  and  which  he  never  wearied  of 
recalling  for  the  entertainment  of  others. 

In  the  midst  of  this  holiday  trip,  however,  he  did  not 
lose  his  interest  in  medical  matters,  as  shown  by  the  fol 
lowing  extract  from  one  of  his  first  letters  from  Italy  to 
his  sister  Mary :  — 

But  don't  think  I  neglect  medicine.  At  Genoa  is 
one  of  the  largest  hospitals  in  Europe.  It  contains 
2000  beds.  The  rooms  are  large  and  generally 
airy.  The  pharmacy  is  an  enchanting  spot,  for, 
instead  of  the  smell  of  drugs,  one  sniffs  up  the 
sweet  odor  of  the  orange  and  lemon  trees  that  sur 
round  it,  and  everything  is  arranged  so  neatly  that 
one  imagines  himself  in  a  perfumer's  shop  and  not 
an  apothecary's.  I  was  introduced  to  all  the  physi 
cians  and  followed  them  in  their  visits,  and  the 
result  was  that  I  was  glad  to  have  studied  at  Paris. 
There  each  physician  has  200  patients.  Some  he 
speaks  to,  others  he  remains  near  perhaps  a  minute, 
but  the  same  indefiniteness  of  ideas  in  regard  to  the 
disease  they  are  treating  is  manifested  that  we  meet 
everywhere  else  save  in  the  wards  of  Louis.  They 
all  have  their  theories  and  act  up  to  them.  I  have 


T6  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWD1TCH 

been  studying  Italian  the  last  two  months,  and  there 
fore  understand  almost  everything  spoken  relative 
to  my  profession.  Moreover  the  professors  speak 
French. 

TO  HIS   SISTER  MARY. 

FLORENCE,  May  11, 1834. 

Three  weeks  have  elapsed  since  I  last  put  a  letter 
for  you  of  Otis  Place  into  the  post  office  at  Rome. 

Since  that  I  have  been  at  Naples,  and  am  now 
just  arrived  at  Florence  "  the  beautiful  "  (la  bella). 
Five  times  I  went  to  the  post  office  at  Naples  and 
five  times  found  it  shut  against  me,  and  I  know  not 
the  reason,  for  I  went  at  the  hours  that  were  told 
me  by  the  persons  who  knew  about  the  arrange 
ments  of  the  mails.  I  have  since  learned  that  others 
were  treated  in  the  same  way  as  myself.  The  only 
reason  I  can  conceive  is  this.  The  Government  is 
perfectly  despotic,  and  intercourse  is  prevented  as 
much  as  possible  with  foreigners,  especially  English 
and  French.  But  to  finish  grievances  and  commence 
something  interesting  to  you.  Though  I  could  tell 
you  much  about  Rome,  I  must  leave  it  after  having 
mentioned  one  very  interesting  visit  I  made  while 
there. 

Mezzof anti  is  a  man  well  known  in  Europe,  though 
perhaps  his  fame  has  not  yet  extended  to  Otis 
Place.  He  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  linguist 
the  world  ever  saw.  I  will  mention  one  fact  about 
which  you  might  doubt,  were  it  not  your  brother 
who  is  telling  it  to  you,  and  I  suspect  you  will 
think  even  he  has  become  an  adept  in  the  stories 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  77 

of  travelers.  At  the  Propaganda  (an  immense 
college  at  Rome  for  the  purpose  of  spreading  wide 
the  Catholic  creed)  are  usually  men  of  all  nations 
and  tribes.  Not  long  since  there  was  one  of  our 
native  Indians,  so  you  may  suppose  that  great  pains 
are  taken  to  procure  people  from  all  quarters  of  the 
globe.  Forty-three  languages  were  spoken  last  year 
at  the  Propaganda.  Mezzofanti  conversed  intelligi 
bly  and  fluently  with  each  man  in  his  own  tongue. 
You  may  be  much  surprised,  my  dear  Mary,  and 
unable  to  comprehend  how  it  would  be  possible  to 
collect  forty-three  languages  in  one  spot.  I  could 
hardly  comprehend  it  till  I  considered  what  I  had 
already  met  with  in  my  short  travels  in  Europe.  In 
Boston  you  find  Gaelic,  Welsh,  Irish,  and  English  ; 
four  grand  languages  entirely  different  from  each 
other.  Then  go  from  one  county  to  another  in 
England  and  you  find  what  the  French  call  pa 
tois,  a  mixture  of  two  or  three  of  the  languages ; 
now  borrowing  from  this,  now  from  that.  Enter 
France,  you  think  probably  that  French  is  spoken 
throughout.  Very  true  it  is  spoken  by  the  higher 
people,  but  the  common  mortals  in  the  remote  prov 
inces  have  a  language  utterly  unintelligible  to  a 
Parisian.  I  was  very  much  struck  with  this  in 
going  towards  Marseilles,  where  there  is  a  patois 
used  very  generally  by  the  mechanics,  etc.,  among 
each  other,  which  borrows  many  of  its  words  from 
the  Italian.  I  could  not  understand  it  at  all,  though 
when  those  same  individuals  spoke  French  I  could 
understand  them  well.  In  Italy  I  supposed  Italian 


78  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

was  spoken  everywhere.  But  no  —  Siena  (a  portion 
only  of  Tuscany)  is  the  only  spot  where  pure  Italian 
is  spoken.  In  Rome  it  is  very  good ;  in  Naples, 
terrible.  Towards  the  north,  I  can  say  nothing 
from  experience;  but  I  presume  toward  that  portion 
of  Italy  bordering  on  France  I  shall  find  French 
expressions ;  towards  Germany,  German  idioms. 
Now,  Mary,  I  think  you  can  conceive  of  forty-three 
languages  being  spoken  in  Rome  at  the  Propaganda. 
But  Mezzofanti  does  not  speak  the  different  dialects, 
but  languages.  Two  Chinese  were  conversing  with 
him  last  year,  and  after  having  finished  were  asked 
how  he  spoke  their  language.  "  Oh,"  answered  they, 
"he  speaks  the  language  of  the  higher  class,  not  that 
of  the  people."  Mezzofanti  has  been  of  late  deeply 
engaged  in  the  study  of  our  Indian  language,  and 
now  is  burning  with  the  desire  to  be  able  to  speak 
the  Irish.  He  says  for  reading  the  authors  of  Ireland, 
it  is  the  most  delightful  literature  he  has  ever  met 
with,  for  in  it  are  found  the  works  of  Ossian,  which 
Macpherson  has  tried  to  imitate.  A  gentleman 
from  South  Carolina,  an  English  gentleman,  and  I 
were  introduced  to  him  by  a  young  Irish  priest.  He 
was  ill,  but  as  he  had  promised  two  days  before  to 
receive  us,  we  were  ushered  into  his  bedroom,  and 
found  him  in  bed.  He  was  pale,  but  had  a  very 
pleasant  countenance,  and  one  also  of  extreme  in 
terest.  Modesty  is  his  peculiar  quality.  He  con 
versed  very  fluently  in  English  and  French  with  me, 
German  with  my  friend  from  South  Carolina,  a  little 
Irish  with  the  priest.  He  regretted  (and  I  assure 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  79 

you  I  regretted  as  much  as  he)  that  neither  of  us 
Americans  could  speak  in  the  Indian  language.  I 
thought  of  Mr.  Pickering  and  longed  to  have  him 
with  us,  for  I  know  that  both  Mezzofanti  and  Mr. 
,  Pickering  would  have  enjoyed  the  meeting  so  much. 
He  spoke  of  Mr.  Duponceau's  grammar  of  the  In 
dian  language,  and  said  that  he  feared  it  was  not  of 
much  value,  for  as  far  as  he  was  able  to  learn  Mr. 
Duponceau  had  made  many  blunders.  I  of  course 
could  say  nothing  pro  or  con,  and  left  the  field  open 
for  my  friend  from  South  Carolina,  who  by  the  way 
was  a  Nullifier,  but  losing  his  office  came  to  Europe, 
and  now  says,  Nullifying  is  a  bad  thing.  After 
remaining  with  Mezzofanti  about  one  quarter  of 
an  hour  we  left  very  much  pleased,  and  regretting 
only  that  we  should  probably  never  see  him  again. 
Byron,  speaking  of  him,  says,  "  Mezzofanti  is  a  mas 
ter  of  languages,  the  Briareus  of  parts  of  speech 
—  a  walking  Polyglot  and  more,  who  ought  to  have 
existed  at  the  time  of  the  Tower  of  Babel  as  uni 
versal  interpreter.  He  is  indeed  a  marvel,  unassum 
ing  also.  I  tried  him  in  all  the  tongues  of  which  I 
knew  a  single  oath." 

My  father's  letters  from  Rome  are  chiefly  filled  with  ac 
counts  of  ceremonies  at  St.  Peter's  and  the  Sistine  Chapel. 
The  chanting  of  the  Miserere  on  Good  Friday  evening 
made  the  most  profound  impression  upon  him.  In  a  letter 
to  his  parents  he  expressed  his  feelings  thus :  — 

If  any  one  can  hear  the  Miserere  without  imagin 
ing  himself  in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  Deity 
and  asking  pardon  for  his  sins,  he  has  no  heart. 


80  HENRY  ESTGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Music  is  not  for  him.  Never  do  I  expect  to  hear 
the  like  again.  It  was  then  that  I  could  almost 
have  bowed  before  the  cross  and  become  a  Catholic. 
Many  years  will  roll  over  me  ere  the  remembrance 
of  the  Miserere  will  be  effaced  from  my  recollection. 

When  he  reached  Milan,  my  father  was  destined  to 
meet  the  first  great  sorrow  of  his  life.  He  found  upon 
his  arrival  there  letters  from  his  brothers  telling  him  of 
the  sudden  and  very  serious  failure  of  his  mother's  health, 
and  in  the  same  mail  another  letter  telling  him  of  her 
death,  which  occurred  on  the  16th  of  April.  It  was  a 
terrible  blow,  for  although  well  aware  that  the  pulmonary 
disease  from  which  she  had  suffered  many  years  would 
doubtless  end  fatally,  he  had  had  reason  to  hope  that  her 
life  would  be  spared  for  years,  or  at  least  until  his  return 
home,  and  the  news  at  first  completely  overpowered  him. 
His  warm  friend,  Copley  Greene,  who  had  met  previously 
with  a  similar  sorrow  in  the  death  of  his  father,  was  a 
great  help  to  him,  but  at  first  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  be  reconciled  to  his  great  loss. 

He  often  referred  to  this  episode  in  his  life  as  an  in 
stance  of  the  divine  effect  of  music  upon  him.  Weighed 
down  with  grief,  but  rebellious  in  spirit,  he  went  alone 
to  the  great  cathedral.  As  he  entered,  he  heard  the  glo 
rious  tones  of  the  organ  pealing  through  the  grand  old 
arches,  and  saw  the  people  kneeling  in  prayer.  Instantly 
his  whole  feeling  changed  and  he  knelt  with  the  others, 
every  rebellious  feeling  gone.  The  sense  of  perfect  peace 
which  came  over  him  remained  with  him,  and  he  left  the 
cathedral  soothed  and  comforted.  It  was  a  striking  illus 
tration  of  a  phase  of  his  character  seen  often  in  later  life, 
when,  in  the  midst  of  crushing  sorrow,  his  spirit  seemed 
to  be  uplifted  and  calmed  by  similar  influences  in  a  man 
ner  that  to  many  would  seem  almost  incomprehensible. 


LIFE  IN  EUROPE  81 


TO   HIS   BROTHER  NATHANIEL. 

MILAN,  June  5,  1834. 

Your  letter  of  April  18  reached  me  night  be 
fore  last.  It  told  me  dreadful  news  which,  though 
somewhat  prepared  for  by  Ingersoll's  previous  letter, 
came  upon  me  so  suddenly  that  for  the  first  evening 
I  was  almost  beside  myself.  I  had,  however,  a 
kind  friend  in  Copley  Greene,  and  he  knew  too  well 
how  to  sympathize  with  me.  Now  I  feel  very  much 
better,  for  I  have  been  yesterday  and  to-day  think 
ing  in  relation  to  mother's  life  and  good  qualities ; 
of  my  duty,  and  consequently  yours,  towards  the 
parent  that  remains.  The  death  of  Jackson  did  me 
good ;  that  of  our  dear  mother  has  done  likewise,  in 
making  me  more  confirmed  in  what  I  consider  is  my 
duty  in  future  life.  Your  letter  was  a  beautiful  one, 
so  calming  me  that,  by  its  contents,  I  was  made  for 
a  time  a  mere  child.  There  is  something  peculiarly 
impressive,  something  dreadful,  at  the  thought  of 
dying  away  from  home ;  and  next  is  that  of  losing  a 
dear  friend,  when  separated  from  her  by  the  distance 
I  am  from  you.  If  there  has  been  any  fervent  wish 
of  my  heart,  it  has  been  that  of  tending  on  mother 
during  her  last  days,  which,  since  my  arrival  in  Eu 
rope  and  study  of  her  disease  under  Louis's  care,  I 
was  satisfied  could  not  be  far  distant.  I  had  hoped 
to  have  smoothed  her  pillow  of  death,  and  to  have 
thus  in  some  measure  repaid  her  for  the  sufferings 
she  has  endured  for  my  sake.  Thank  God  that  so 


82  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

many  of  our  family  were  allowed   to  do  all  these 
acts  of  kindness. 

Nat,  will  not  the  loss  of  our  mother  strengthen 
the  ties  that  bind  us  together  ?  I  have  loved  to 
look  upon  the  intimacy  that  has  existed  between 
Dr.  Jackson  and  his  two  brothers.  So  let  it  be  with 
us,  and  as  friends  are  taken  away  from  us  and  trials 
fall  upon  us,  may  we  find  always  pleasure  in  inter 
course  with  each  other.  Heaven  may  spare  us  to 
grow  old  together ;  let  us  now  swear  over  the  tomb 
of  our  mother  that  our  love  for  one  another  shall 
be  like  Jonathan  to  David,  "  passing  the  love  of 
woman."  Let  the  death  of  our  mother  prove  a 
benefit  to  us  all ;  and  during  our  lives  may  we  ever 
bless  the  hour  that  has  been  the  means  of  uniting 
us  more  strongly  in  brotherly  affection. 

Farewell  now  for  a  season. 

Your  brother, 

H. 

Soon  after  this  he  returned  to  Paris  and,  although 
nearly  all  the  correspondence  of  that  period  has  disap 
peared,  destroyed  doubtless  for  certain  reasons,  with  the 
exception  of  one  letter  to  his  father  from  London,  dated 
July  31,  1834,  we  know  that,  in  consequence  of  that  cor 
respondence,  which  referred  to  a  matter  deeply  affecting 
my  father's  happiness,  his  father  felt  it  right  to  ask  for 
his  immediate  return  to  America. 

On  account,  however,  of  the  delicate  health  of  a  per 
sonal  friend  of  the  family,  who  wished  for  my  father's 
services  as  a  physician,  he  was  detained  for  several  weeks, 
but  in  the  following  September  he  sailed  for  home. 


CHAPTER    IV 

RETURN   TO    AMERICA MARRIAGE 

1834-1838 

IN  order  to  understand  the  reason  of  my  grandfather's 
wish  that  his  son  should  leave  Europe  several  weeks  ear 
lier  than  had  been  originally  planned,  we  must  retrace 
our  steps  a  little. 

In  touching  upon  this  subject,  one  naturally  feels  at 
first  some  doubt  as  to  how  far  he  is  justified  in  bringing 
to  public  attention  matters  of  a  purely  personal  nature, 
lest  by  so  doing  he  unwittingly  violate  a  sense  of  delicacy, 
and  at  the  same  time  do  injustice  to  one  or  more  of  those 
most  concerned. 

In  the  present  case,  however,  I  feel  it  will  not  exceed 
the  bounds  of  delicacy  if  the  simple  truth  be  told,  for  it 
serves  to  illustrate  the  beauty  of  sterling  traits;  viz., 
strong  paternal  affection,  the  keenest  sense  of  filial  duty, 
and,  above  all,  the  noble  unselfishness  of  a  love  between  a 
pure  man  and  woman  which,  standing  the  test  of  years  of 
separation,  from  a  sense  of  duty  to  others,  enables  them 
to  remain  steadfast  and  loyal  to  each  other  through  every 
trial. 

Upon  my  father's  return  from  Scotland  in  the  autumn 
of  1833,  he  changed  his  place  of  abode  from  the  Place  de 
1'Odeon  to  one  immediately  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Pitie. 
He  took  a  room  in  the  house  of  a  Madame  Giroux  who 
kept  a  pension  bourgeoise  at  No.  1  bis  Rue  d'Orleans,1 

1  The  street  is  now  Rue  d'Aubenton,  and  the  house  with  its  little 


84  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

and  it  was  in  this  house  that  he  was  destined  to  meet 
the  young  English  girl  who  in  after  years  became  his 
wife. 

Olivia  Yardley,  the  daughter  of  John  Yardley,  was  at 
that  time  completing  her  education  in  Paris,  and  was 
living  en  pension  with  an  elderly  relative  at  Mme. 
Giroux's. 

She  was  but  seventeen  years  of  age  when  she  first  met 
my  father,  but,  from  accounts  given  of  her  by  those  who 
knew  her  at  that  time,  she  was  somewhat  mature  for  her 
years,  possessing  great  sweetness  and  dignity  combined 
with  much  gayety  of  manner  at  times. 

In  later  years,  she  often  laughingly  told  her  children  of 
her  first  glimpse  of  her  future  husband.  The  young  girl 
was  looking  out  of  her  window  one  day,  when  the  high 
gate  of  the  garden  opened  and  in  stepped  briskly  a  young 
man,  with  very  blue  eyes,  clad  in  a  high-collared,  plum- 
colored  coat  and  light  blue  trousers.  The  two  were  not 
destined  to  meet,  however,  until  a  short  time  later ;  but 
on  "  All  Hallow  Eve  "  they  first  spoke  to  each  other  at 
the  supper  table,  and  soon  became  friends.  Friendship 
in  two  such  natures,  situated  as  they  then  were,  soon 
ripened  into  love. 

In  addition  to  the  qualities  already  mentioned,  Miss 
Yardley  had  others  which  met  with  a  quick  response 
in  my  father's  nature.  Her  love  of  music,  her  marked 
talent  in  playing  upon  the  piano  and  harp,  combined 
with  a  sweet,  sympathetic  voice  in  singing,  all  served  to 
strengthen  the  bond  of  sympathy  between  them.  In 
short,  the  romance  of  their  lives  had  begun. 

Although  not  until  several  months  later  was  mention 
made  to  those  at  home  of  the  fact  that  his  affections  were 
becoming  engaged,  yet  allusions  in  journal  letters  written 

garden  and  high  wall  in  front  has,  within  a  very  few  years,  disap 
peared  to  make  way  for  a  large  modern  structure. 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  — MARRIAGE  85 

many  years  afterwards  give  ample  proof  of  what  was 
occurring  then. 

Not  long  ago,  moreover,  in  looking  over  my  mother's 
old  letters,  an  envelope  was  found.  On  the  outside  were 
the  words  in  her  handwriting,  "  Given  to  me  by  Mr. 
Bowditch,  Dec.  13,  1833."  It  contained  only  a  pressed 
flower,  but  told  its  own  story. 

In  February,  just  before  my  father  left  for  Italy,  they 
were  engaged,  and  it  must  have  been  during  this  journey 
that  he  wrote  to  inform  his  parents  of  the  event,  for,  not 
long  after  the  arrival  of  letters  telling  him  of  his  mother's 
death,  came  others  from  his  father  and  different  members 
of  the  family  destined  to  give  pain  to  more  than  one,  but 
which  were  sent  doubtless  with  the  best  and  kindest  in 
tent.  The  strongest  opposition  was  evidently  expressed 
and,  as  has  been  already  told,  his  father  wrote  requesting 
him  to  return  to  America  immediately.  In  justice  to  all, 
we  must  look  at  their  reasons  for  adopting  such  a  course. 
My  grandfather  knew  well  his  son's  impulsive,  ardent, 
and  romantic  disposition.  Miss  Yardley  was  a  perfect 
stranger,  and  it  is  easy  to  understand  a  father's  fears  lest 
his  dearly-loved  son  stood  in  danger,  possibly,  of  having 
his  whole  future  wrecked  by  the  selection  of  one  unworthy 
of  him.  With  the  ocean  between  them,  and  the  means  of 
communication  a  matter  not  of  hours  as  at  present,  but 
of  weeks,  almost  months,  the  father  felt  he  must  act  im 
mediately,  firmly,  even,  as  it  seemed,  harshly.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  suffering  that  was  caused  by  such  action 
is  easily  pictured. 

My  father  did,  however,  precisely  what  he  should  have 
done  under  such  circumstances ;  told  the  woman  he  loved 
exactly  what  had  occurred,  and  she  adopted  the  course 
which  was  consistent  with  her  character.  She  declined  to 
continue  the  engagement  while  there  was  the  least  possi 
bility  of  its  causing  an  estrangement  between  himself  and 


86  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

his  father  and  family,  and  by  mutual  agreement  all  regu 
lar  correspondence  ceased  between  the  couple,  the  under 
standing  having  been  made,  however,  that  once  a  year 
letters  should  be  exchanged  should  their  feelings  remain 
the  same  towards  each  other. 

In  all  this  transaction,  in  spite  of  the  torturing  doubts 
at  first  as  to  his  proper  course  of  action,  my  father  was 
influenced  by  his  intense  feeling  of  duty  towards  a  father 
to  whom  he  owed  so  much,  and  in  this  feeling  he  found 
the  unselfish  support  of  the  one  to  whom  he  had  given  his 
heart's  deepest  affection. 

As  it  proved  in  later  years,  this  action  on  their  part 
doubtless  served  their  cause  in  commanding  the  respect 
of  those  who  at  first  opposed  the  match,  and,  as  we  shall 
see,  ample  amends  were  made  by  all  who  had  been  the 
cause  of  pain,  even  though  their  action  had  doubtless  been 
prompted  only  by  the  best  motives. 

My  father  soon  afterwards  left  Paris  for  London,  in 
tending  to  return  at  once  to  America,  but,  owing  to  the 
illness  of  a  warm  family  friend,  Mrs.  Horace  Gray,  his 
departure  was  delayed,  as  shown  in  the  following 
letter :  — 

LONDON,  July  31, 1834. 

MY  DEAR  FATHER,  —  Again  I  must  ask  your  in 
dulgence.  I  came  to  London  contrary  to  your 
wishes,  because  Mrs.  Gray  wished  me  to  go  home 
with  her  "  as  physician  and  friend ;  she  had  set  her 
heart  upon  it."  I  quote  her  words.  I  could  not  do 
otherwise.  She  thought  of  leaving  on  the  first  of 
August.  I  called  three  days  before  I  left  Paris  and 
found  the  family  apparently  ah1  prepared  to  leave, 
and  consequently  did  not  call  again,  and  a  few  hours 
only  before  leaving  the  city  I  learned  that  they  were 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  —  MARRIAGE  87 

not  gone  to  London.  I  still  hoped  to  see  them  in 
London  by  the  first,  but  they  have  not  yet  arrived ; 
but  yesterday  I  received  the  following  letter,  dated 
a  week  back,  and  consequently  I  have  determined 
to  stay  and  go  home  with  them. 

PARIS. 

DEAR  SIB,  —  We  were  quite  surprised,  and  not  a 
little  disappointed,  to  find  you  had  left  Paris  before 
us.  We  shall,  of  course,  now  be  too  late  for  the 
ship  of  the  1st.  We  shall  probably  be  in  London 
on  Monday  and  Tuesday.  I  hope  you  may  delay 
taking  your  passage  until  after  our  arrival. 

Mrs.  Gray  has  seen  Louis,  and  is  desirous  as  well 
as  ourselves  that  you  should  go  with  us,  and  we 
hope  to  add  reasons  that  will  be  forcibly  persuasive 
to  you,  and  would  be  to  your  father  if  he  were  here. 

Yours  truly 

H.  GRAY. 

What  course  have  I  to  pursue  ?  I  asked  Dr. 
Boott,  and  he  said,  "  Stay."  You,  my  dear  father, 
may  say  he  knows  not  the  peculiar  reasons  that  in 
duce  you  to  request  me  to  return  home  immediately. 
Very  true,  but  still  these  reasons  ought  not  to  influ 
ence  you  now,  for  the  person  you  fear  is  in  Paris, 
consequently  we  cannot  meet.  I  am  not  losing  my 
time  in  London.  In  the  company  of  the  family  of 
Dr.  Boott,  I  am  gaining  much  every  day  I  live  there. 
It  is  really  a  second  home  to  me.  Not  a  day  passes 
but  that  I  find  sometime  work  there ;  and  if  you 
doubt  the  good  effect  produced  upon  young  minds 


88  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

by  such  familiar  intercourse  with  the  delightful 
physician  and  his  family,  ask  Dr.  Jackson  what  James 
said.  Ask  Dr.  Channing  (the  Rev.)  whether  the 
purity  of  character,  the  nobleness  of  feelings  shown 
by  my  lost  friend,  were  not  implanted,  or  at  least 
greatly  strengthened  and  purified  by  this  intercourse. 
I  neglect  not  medicine.  I  read  and  I  visit  the  hos 
pitals.  Under  the  circumstances,  do  you  blame  me 
for  remaining  ?  I  look  upon  Mrs.  Gray  and  I  ima 
gine  my  lost  and  dear  mother  under  similar  circum 
stances.  I  hear  her  ask  Jackson  to  wait  a  few  days 
longer  in  order  to  go  home  with  her  as  physician. 
I  am  sure  he  would  answer  "  Yes."  So  I  have  done, 
and  I  think  I  have  done  rightly.  I  should  never 
forgive  myself,  as  Dr.  Boott  said,  should  Mrs.  Gray 
suffer  for  want  of  medical  attendance  across  the 
Atlantic.  She  is  in  consumption,  I  fear,  and  not 
many  years  will  she  remain  with  us  on  this  earth,  if 
my  suspicions  be  just.  Ought  I  then  to  forsake  one 
so  good  —  so  precious  to  society  ?  Surely  not.  I 
have  determined  to  stay  and  go  home  with  them.  .  .  . 

I  have  done.     I  make  no  allusions  to ,  but 

I  hope  on  my  return  at  least  to  prove  that  I  have  re 
ceived  no  ill  from  the  pleasant  intercourse  I  have  had 
with  her,  which  is  now  broken  by  your  request. 

This  is  the  last  letter  from  Europe  that  has  been  pre 
served. 

A  loving  welcome  awaited  my  father's  return  home,  and 
he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  with  zeal.  A  letter 
written  a  year  later  to  his  father  shows,  however,  that, 
although  willing  to  devote  himself  to  those  who  had  been 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  —  MARRIAGE  89 

the  means  of  bringing  so  much  into  his  life,  he  was  still 
unchanged  in  his  feeling  towards  the  one  he  had  left  be 
hind. 

Saturday  eve. 

MY  DEAR  FATHER,  —  It  is  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  the  minds  of  us  both  becoming  ruffled 
that  I  now  commence  a  letter  to  you  in  preference 
to  having  any  verbal  communication  (at  first  cer 
tainly)  upon  a  subject  which  I  know  must  excite 
painful  emotions  in  both.  It  will  be  painful  to  you 
I  know ;  it  will  be  painful  to  me  to  hurt  the  feel 
ings  of  one  who  is  doing  so  much  for  me  every  day 
of  my  existence. 

When  I  left  Europe  last  year,  I  told  you  my  en 
gagement  was  dissolved.  I  said  the  truth.  It  shall 
remain  dissolved  until  the  day  of  my  death  should  a 
single  member  of  the  family  at  Otis  Place  but  breathe 
that,  by  a  renewal  of  it,  I  am  destined  to  wound  the 
feelings  of  any  one  of  its  members.  I  have  had 
misery  enough  a  year  since  at  the  idea  of  having 
alienated  the  affections  of  my  father,  my  brothers, 
and  my  sisters,  and  may  Heaven  defend  me  from 
ever  undergoing  what  I  then  did.  Besides,  I  would 
be  unwilling  to  bring  any  other  being  to  unite  her 
self  to  the  outcast  from  the  affections  of  his  family. 
I  should  sooner  die  than  thus  be  the  means  of  bring 
ing  misery  upon  her. 

This  much  having  been  promised,  let  me  now 
address  you  upon  the  subject  for  which  I  began  this 
letter.  When  we  parted  I  said  that,  though  I  should 
hold  no  correspondence  with  her  I  was  leaving,  still 


90  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

I  should  write  one  letter  every  year  if  I  continued 
to  have  the  same  feelings  towards  her  as  I  had  done 
previously.  There  was  a  promise  made  by  the  other 
party  to  return  an  answer,  but  subsequently  it  was 

revoked  on  the  perusal  of  yours  and 's  letters, 

and  after  communication  with  her  family;  and  when 
I  left  England  I  may  truly  say  I  scarcely  had  a 
shadow  of  expectation  of  ever  receiving  a  letter  again. 
On  my  arrival  at  New  York  I  put  a  letter  on  board 
the  next  packet,  giving  information  of  my  safe  arri 
val.  I  have  never  written  since  until  about  two  and 
a  half  months  ago,  and  I  have  never  received  any 
letter  from  England  save  the  package  received  a  few 
days  since.  The  answer  to  mine  makes  it  necessary 
for  me  to  write  this.  The  last  year  has  taught  me 
much ;  first,  that  I  never  shall  forget  her  to  whom  I 
have  once  pledged  my  faith.  I  have  been  in  com 
pany  the  past  year,  and  at  times,  nay,  I  have  often, 
very  often,  enjoyed  myself  in  the  society  of  the  ladies 
of  Boston.  But  is  this  all  that  is  necessary  in  order 
to  be  willing  to  stand  up  before  God  and  solemnly 
promise  to  honor  and  love  ?  Were  these  the  only 
feelings  you  had  towards  our  dead  mother?  There 
is  something  more  than  mere  pleasure  in  one's  society 
that  fits  two  persons  for  one  another.  But  whatever 
may  be  your  opinion,  I  ask  you,  Could  any  argu 
ments  make  you  forget  your  deceased  wife,  who  loved 
you,  God  knows  how  dearly?  You  will  answer  "  No," 
I  am  quite  sure.  Can  I  then,  by  arguments,  be 
induced  to  forget  and  forswear  one  who  proves  by 
her  last  letter  that  her  feelings  of  attachment,  though 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA— MARRIAGE  91 

subdued,  are  stronger  than  ever  towards  him  who 
forsook  her  ?  It  cannot  be.  You  may,  from  what 
precedes,  judge  of  my  determinations ;  viz.,  1st. 
I  will  remain  always  as  I  am  now,  if  there  continues 
to  be  in  your  mind  any  doubt  as  to  the  expediency 
of  renewing  our  intercourse.  2d.  Think  not  that 
any  inducement  will  ever  persuade  me  so  far  to  for 
get  my  duties  as  to  pretend  to  devote  myself  to 
another  whilst  she  continues  alive.  A  year  since  I 
could  not  have  spoken  so  positively  upon  this  point, 
but  a  year  has  taught  me  much,  and  little  is  known 
of  my  character  by  any  one  who  thinks  I  shall  swerve 
from  this,  my  fixed  determination.  This  is  no  idle 
thought,  which  will  vanish  with  the  hour,  it  is  the 
solemn,  fixed  determination  of  my  soul.  3d.  If 
you  still  have  the  same  feelings  which  influenced  you 
last  year,  I  pray  you  tell  them  frankly  to  me,  and 
from  this  moment,  at  least  for  one  year,  you  shall 
not  hear  me  whisper  a  sound  that  will  indicate  that 
I  think  of  anything  save  my  duties  here.  4th.  If 
you  have  not  any  of  these  feelings  you  will,  of  course, 
not  refuse  to  suffer  me  to  have  more  frequent  cor 
respondence  with  her.  5th.  Should  you  give  this 
consent,  I  here  solemnly  promise  that  I  never  will 
think  of  asking  her  to  come  here  until,  by  my  own 
means ,  I  can  do  so  with  honor  to  us  all. 

I  have  thus,  my  dear  father,  written  a  letter  to 
you,  and  I  have  written  it  coolly.  You  know  my 
determinations,  judge  of  them.  Think  me  not  un 
grateful.  I  am  indeed  grateful  for  all  the  kindnesses 
that  have  of  late  been  showered  upon  me,  and  no- 


92  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

thing  but  duty  to  her  would  induce  me  to  speak  to 
you.  She  asks,  "  Does  your  father  consent  to  our 
correspondence  ?  "  How  shall  I  answer  her  ? 

As  I  have  said  before,  it  may  be  strange  to  you 
that  I  write  a  letter.  I  can  write  much  more  coolly 
than  I  can  talk,  and  God  forbid  that  a  harsh  conver 
sation  may  ever  take  place  between  a  father  whom  I 
know  so  well  as  I  do  you,  and  myself.  Answer  as 
your  conscience  dictates,  and  I  will  again  bow  and 
love  and  reverence  you  as  much  as  ever,  for  I  know 
that,  whatever  may  be  your  decision,  it  will  be  dic 
tated  by  kindness,  and  believe  me  always 
Your  affectionate  son, 

H. 

Whether  the  answer  to  this  letter  was  verbal  or  other 
wise  will  never  be  known,  but  it  is  certain  that  not  long 
afterwards  all  opposition  was  withdrawn,  and  every  means 
taken  to  further  the  happiness  of  all.  Doubtless  the  fol 
lowing  extract  from  a  family  letter  of  an  acquaintance 
of  my  father's  written  the  year  before  was  shown  to  my 
grandfather,  and  may  have  had  its  share  in  influencing 
his  final  decision  :  — 

"  In  the  hotel  where  I  live,  the  only  persons  who  speak 
English  are  H.  Bowditch  and  two  English  ladies, —  aunt 
and  niece,  the  latter  finishing  her  education.  She  speaks 
French,  is  learning  Italian,  draws  beautifully,  plays  on 
the  pianoforte  and  harp  delightfully,  and  sings  divinely. 
She  is  altogether  one  of  the  most  talented,  accomplished, 
and  amiable  girls  I  ever  met.  Her  face  reminds  me  of 
C.  White's,  only  the  expression  is  better.  She  is  lively 
without  being  rude  or  impudent,  modest  without  being 
bashful,  has  great  sense  and  feeling  without  making  a 
parade  of  it,  acute  sensibility  without  nervous  agitation, 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  — MARRIAGE  93 

deep  moral  and  religious  feelings  without  cant  or  prudery, 
has  a  soul  for  love  and  sentiment  without  talking  nonsense, 
and  a  heart  to  compassionate  and  relieve  the  afflictions  of 
others,  and  accomplishes  a  deal  without  ever  seeming  in 
haste  or  out  of  humor. 

"  After  saying  all  this  you  will  think  I  am  in  love,  but 
I  am  not." 

The  sweetness  and  magnanimity  of  the  soul  of  the 
young  girl  after  a  year  of  doubt  and  anxiety  is  shown  in 
the  following  beautiful  words  taken  from  the  torn  por 
tion  of  an  old  letter,  undated  and  unaddressed,  but  meant 
evidently  for  her  future  husband's  father  after  his  objec 
tions  to  their  engagement  had  been  withdrawn  :  — 

"  Will  you  pardon  my  boldness  in  addressing  you  ?  I 
am  acting  from  the  dictates  of  a  heart  overflowing  with 
gratitude.  You  have  made  two  beings  the  happiest  of 
mortals,  by  bestowing  your  blessings  on  their  engagement. 
I  will  endeavor  to  repay  the  debt  I  owe,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  merit  your  affection  by  following  (as  much  as  is 
in  my  power)  the  bright  example  of  those  who  are  gone 
where  sorrow  is  unknown.  I  allude  to  Henry's  mother 
and  my  own. 

"  Forgive  me  if  I  have  spoken  too  freely.  I  mean  not 
to  offend. 

You  shall  find  an  affectionate  child  in 

OLIVIA." 

Her  letters  written  during  the  interval  of  their  engage 
ment  are  filled  with  her  loyal  sweet  spirit,  but  a  vein 
of  pathos,  natural  from  the  fact  of  the  distance  which 
separates  them,  runs  through  them  all.  The  joy  of  the 
thought,  however,  of  once  more  being  with  him  she  loves 
seems  to  quite  overshadow  the  knowledge  of  the  coming 
separation  from  home,  family,  and  friends. 

During  the  year  previous  to  their  marriage,  my  father 


94  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

had  the  happiness  of  enabling  my  mother  to  assist  his 
father  in  his  translation  of  the  "  Mecanique  Celeste,"  a 
task  of  no  small  magnitude.  Of  her  pleasure  and  at  the 
same  time  anxiety  over  the  work  we  get  evidence  in  the 
following  letter  to  my  grandfather  :  — 

LONDON,  December  22, 1837. 

MY  DEAR  SIR,  —  At  Henry's  request  I  have  at 
tempted  to  translate  the  14th  book  of  the  "Mecanique 
Celeste."  I  fear  when  you  peruse  it  you  will  think  it  was 
presumption  on  my  part  to  undertake  it.  I  am  aware 
that  many  of  the  sentences  are  cramped.  I  think  I  should 
have  been  able  to  translate  it  much  better  had  I  had  any 
friend  near,  to  whom  I  could  have  applied  for  assistance. 
From  not  having  any  knowledge  of  mathematics  I  have 
found  a  difficulty  in  rendering  some  of  the  expressions 
into  English.  Some  words  that  have  several  significations 
I  have  underlined  and  have  given  the  best  translation  I 
could  to  them. 

Should  my  endeavors  prove  successful  I  shall  feel 
amply  repaid  for  all  the  trouble  and  anxiety  the  task  has 
caused  me,  and  at  the  same  time  grateful  to  Henry  for 
having  enabled  me  to  render  some  service  to  one  who  has 
shown  so  much  kindness  towards  me. 

With  every  wish  for  your  continued  health  and  happi 
ness, 

Believe  me 

Yours  affectionately, 

OLIVIA  YARDLEY. 

My  father's  practice  was  at  this  time  becoming  such  as 
to  justify  the  thought  of  marriage. 

When  we  learn  of  his  elation  at  the  end  of  his  first 
year's  practice  over  the  accumulation  of  $75  and  his  laugh 
ing  boast  that  it  was  equal  to  that  made  by  one  of  the 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  —  MARRIAGE  95 

then  well-known  physicians  of  Boston,  Dr.  John  Ware, 
during  his  first  year  of  practice,  we  may  judge  somewhat 
of  the  difference  between  the  cost  of  living  in  those  days 
and  the  present. 

We  may  be  certain,  however,  that  in  the  next  three 
years  his  income  had  comfortably  increased;  otherwise 
he  would  not  have  entertained,  even  then,  the  thought  of 
marriage. 

It  was,  moreover,  the  earnest  desire  of  my  grandfather, 
whose  failing  health  had  become  a  source  of  anxiety  to 
all,  that  he  should  have  the  happiness  of  welcoming  a  new 
daughter  to  his  home;  but  his  wish  was  never  realized, 
for  shortly  after  he  had  received  the  letter  telling  of  the 
work  upon  the  translation,  feeling  that  he  had  not  long  to 
live,  he  wrote  the  following  letter,  which  certainly  must 
have  taken  away  any  sting  of  memory  from  the  young 
girl's  heart,  if  any  were  left  there. 

BOSTON,  March  10,  1838. 

MY  DEAR  DAUGHTER  OLIVIA,  —  It  was  always  my 
hope  to  be  able  to  meet  you  with  my  children  on  your 
arrival  at  New  York,  and  to  give  you,  in  the  most  affec 
tionate  and  cordial  manner,  a  paternal  kiss,  as  I  had  to 
Elizabeth  and  Lucy  upon  their  entrance  into  my  family. 
But  God  in  his  providence  has  otherwise  decreed,  and 
with  submission  I  bow  to  his  will,  believing  everything 
ordered  for  the  best. 

Feeble  as  I  now  am,  I  fear  I  shall  never  see  you,  and  I 
write  to  assure  you  of  my  affection  and  to  tell  you  that  I 
have  made  all  pleasant  arrangements  for  your  reception 
as  a  sister  into  our  family  of  love,  which,  from  a  recent 
proposition  of  my  two  eldest  sons,  will,  I  rejoice  to  believe, 
long  continue  a  united  household,  after  I  have  been  re 
moved  from  it  by  death. 

As  a  son,  I  have  ever  found  Henry  most  dutiful ;  and 


96  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

his  attentions  during  my  present  illness,  besides  alleviat 
ing  my  bodily  pain,  have  soothed  and  gratified  me  beyond 
expression.  His  character  has  always  been  pure  and 
blameless,  and  his  soul  filled  with  the  highest  love  of  truth 
and  virtue.  And  I  feel  sure  that,  in  so  important  a 
matter  as  the  choice  of  a  partner  for  life,  he  has  looked 
for  those  essential  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  which 
make  the  highest  earthly  happiness  the  result  of  this  most 
intimate  of  human  relations. 

Convinced  then  of  the  excellence  of  your  principles,  and 
feeling,  alike  by  all  I  have  seen  of  your  correspondence 
and  by  the  constancy  of  your  mutual  attachment  through 
the  severe  trials  of  time  and  absence  to  which  it  has  been 
subjected,  I  now  give  you  my  parting  benediction ;  and 
hoping  that  you  and  Henry  will  long  remain  blessings  to 
each  other,  believe  me  with  all  feelings  of  affection 

YOUR  FATHER. 

My  father  often  spoke  of  the  delight  it  had  been  to 
him  to  feel  that  he  could  minister  to  his  father  in  his  last 
days,  and  frequently  recalled  the  beauty  of  his  death. 
Not  long  before  he  died,  his  daughter  Mary  brought  him 
a  sprig  of  jessamine.  "  How  beautiful !  "  said  he.  "  Let 
it  always  be  our  family  flower."  My  father  cherished 
the  thought,  and  at  every  opportunity  in  after  years 
taught  his  children  and  nieces  and  nephews  to  love  the 
flower  for  its  sweet  associations. 

Not  long  after  my  grandfather's  death,  which  occurred 
March  17,  1838,  it  was  proposed  that  my  father  should 
return  to  England  for  the  wedding ;  but  from  motives  of 
economy  the  lovers  finally  decided  that  they  must  put 
sentiment  and  conventional  methods  aside,  and  in  their 
decision  they  were  encouraged  by  the  sound  good  sense  of 
my  mother's  father,  who  consented  to  the  plan  that  his 
daughter  should  cross  the  ocean  under  the  guardianship 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA  — MARRIAGE  97 

of  kind  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Ticknor  of  Boston, 
and  that  the  marriage  should  take  place  immediately  upon 
their  arrival. 

Let  us  pause  a  moment  and  think  what  this  step  meant. 
It  was  more  than  sixty  years  ago,  when  intercourse  be 
tween  the  two  countries  was  vastly  less  than  at  the  present 
day ;  at  a  time  when  crossing  the  Atlantic  meant  a  long, 
tedious  voyage,  undertaken  rarely  except  by  experienced 
travelers.  The  young  girl  of  twenty-two  was  to  leave 
her  home  with  all  its  hallowed  associations,  to  cross  three 
thousand  miles  of  ocean  in  the  company  of  comparative 
strangers,  in  a  sailing  vessel,  to  meet  in  a  strange  land 
the  one  she  loved,  after  four  years  of  separation.  Yet 
she  never  wavered.  Her  last  letter  from  England  to  her 
lover  previous  to  her  departure,  while  filled  with  love  for 
those  she  is  about  to  leave,  is  joyous  with  the  thought  of 
meeting  him  for  whom  she  was  about  to  give  such  a  beau 
tiful  proof  of  courage  and  constancy.  They  sailed  in 
June,  1838,  and  on  the  15th  of  July  arrived  at  New 
York,  where  they  were  met  by  my  father. 

On  the  17th  of  July,  in  the  presence  of  a  few  friends, 
the  marriage  took  place  at  St.  John's  Church,  near  Wash 
ington  Square,  in  New  York,  and  later  my  father  brought 
to  the  loving  embrace  of  all  in  the  homestead  at  Otis 
Place  his  young  English  bride,  who  from  that  time  for 
over  fifty  years  was  to  be  the  "  crowning  blessing  of  his 
life." 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   GARRISON   MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE 
1834-1838 

IMMEDIATELY  upon  his  return  from  Europe  in  the 
autumn  of  1834,  my  father  took  up  his  abode  in  his 
father's  home  at  8  Otis  Place,  but  opened  an  office  in 
Washington  Street,  near  the  old  Marlborough  Hotel, 
which  stood  nearly  opposite  the  head  of  Franklin  Street. 

Although  deeply  influenced  by  the  events  mentioned  in 
the  last  chapter,  he  was  not  one  to  neglect  the  duties  of 
the  hour,  and  began  his  new  life  with  enthusiasm.  Stir 
ring  events,  moreover,  destined  to  influence  his  whole 
after  life,  were  then  taking  place  in  Boston. 

Garrison  was  uttering  his  tremendous  denunciations  of 
slavery,  and  the  first  results  of  the  great  anti-slavery 
movement  in  Massachusetts  were  beginning  to  show 
themselves. 

Not  long  after  his  return  he  witnessed  the  famous  so- 
called  "  broadcloth  mob,"  composed  of  many  well-known 
citizens,  who  endeavored  to  prevent  Garrison  from  speak 
ing  against  slavery.  My  father's  indignation  and  subse 
quent  action  are  best  described  in  his  own  words,  taken 
from  a  series  of  papers  written  many  years  later  at  the 
request  of,  and  dedicated  to,  a  warm  family  friend,  Dr. 
L.  Vernon  Briggs,  and  entitled  "  The  Thirty  Years'  War 
of  Anti-Slavery."  * 

1  Volume  x.,  chapter  i. 


The  Home  at  8  Otis  Place,  Boston 


THE  GARRISON  MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE        99 

I  returned  from  European  study  of  medicine 
and  of  freedom,  which  I  had  imbibed  under  Louis 
and  also  at  the  audience  chamber  of  Jouffroy.  So 
desirous  was  I  of  being  free,  that  for  a  time  I  declined 
to  join  the  Massachusetts  Medical  Society  for  fear  of 
being  bound  by  any  pledges  which  I  might  want 
to  disregard ;  but  I  soon  found  that  I  was  carrying 
the  principle  too  far,  and  really  losing  good  influences 
of  interchange  of  thought  with  honorable  peers.  I 
began  my  profession  at  a  time  not  remote  from  that 
at  which  Miss  Crandall 1  had  been  maltreated  by  the 
Northern  pro-slavery  mob.  I  have  little  memory  of 
it  save  as  detailed  in  the  papers  of  the  day  while  I 
was  absent.  I  needed  a  blow  nearer  my  own  home 
to  arouse  in  me  a  hatred  of  slavery  that  would  bear 
fruit  by  its  influence  on  my  heart,  compelling  me  to 
act.  That  blow  came  in  this  wise :  On  the  after 
noon  of  October  21,  1835,  having  finished  most  of 
my  professional  work,  I  walked  down  Washington 
Street,  and  at  the  corner  of  Court  Street  found  a  large 
and  noisy,  excited  crowd.  Looking  down  State  Street, 
so  that  I  could  see  the  spot  where  Attucks  and  his 
comrades  fell  in  the  earliest  days  of  the  Revolution, 
I  witnessed  a  scene  of  wild  tumult  such  as  I  shall 
never  forget.  Apparently  numbers  of  men  were 
trying  to  enter  the  northern  door  of  the  old  State 
House.  I  asked  the  reason  of  the  mob,  as  it  evidently 
was.  "  They  are  trying  to  '  snake  out '  Garrison  and 

1  This  refers  to  the  fact  that  in  Connecticut,  in  1833,  Miss  Cran- 
dall's  school,  which  admitted  colored  children,  was  torn  down  and 
broken  up  by  a  pro-slavery  mob. 


100  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Thompson  to  tar  and  feather  them."  "  What  have 
they  done  ? "  I  asked.  "  The  Abolitionists  have 
been  holding  a  meeting  in  opposition  to  slavery." 
"  Then  it  has  come  to  this/'  I  said,  "  that  a  man 
cannot  speak  on  slavery  within  sight  of  Faneuil  Hall 
and  almost  at  the  foot  of  Bunker  Hill  ?  If  this  is 
so,  it  is  time  for  me  to  become  an  Abolitionist." 
Whilst  thus  musing,  Hon.  Samuel  A.  Eliot,  then  a 
member  of  the  City  Government,  came  up  from  State 
Street,  and  I  joined  him  and  we  walked  together 
towards  the  Court  House  in  Court  Square.  I  said, 
"  Mr.  Eliot,  I  am  not  a  fighting  man,  but  if  you  of 
the  City  Government  want  some  volunteers  I  would 
be  delighted  to  shoulder  my  father's  old  '  King's 
arm '  and  shoot  some  of  these  ( sans  culottes.' '  I 
was  surprised  at  his  apparent  coolness,  and  instead 
of  sustaining  the  idea  of  free  speech  he  said  that  the 
city  needed  no  volunteers,  and  he  rather  intimated 
that  the  authorities,  while  not  wishing  for  a  mob, 
rather  sympathized  with  its  object,  which  was  to 
forcibly  suppress  the  Abolitionists.  I  was  completely 
disgusted,  and  vowed  in  my  heart  as  I  left  him  with 
utter  loathing,  "  I  am  an  Abolitionist  from  this  very 
moment,  and  to-morrow  I  will  subscribe  for  Garri 
son's  '  Liberator.' '  I  ever  after  kept  my  word,  and 
now  thank  Heaven  that  among  the  greatest  blessings 
of  life  I  can  look  upon  this  mob,  and  my  introduc 
tion  to  Garrison  in  consequence  thereof,  as  two  of 
the  choicest  events  of  my  existence. 

I  returned  and  met .     I  told  the  story  to 

those  around,  and  expected  sympathy  with  my  views 


THE  GARRISON  MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE       101 

of  the  matter.    Suddenly cried  out,  "  I  should 

like  to  be  one  of  a  party  to  duck  Garrison  in  the 
Frog  Pond."  I  became  absolutely  dumb  and  said 

to   myself ,   " ,  you  have  always  been  to  me 

one  of  the  dearest  and  most  liberal  of  friends.  We 
shall  never  be  otherwise  than  loving  towards  one 
another,  but  you  shall  never  hear  a  single  syllable 
from  me  on  any  anti-slavery  question  until  you 
speak  first."  And  I  kept  my  word  for  years,  and 
until  he,  I  found,  was  falling  into  the  lines  of  the 
Free  Soil  party  and  began  to  congratulate  me  on 
our  success.  I  give  these  anecdotes,  as  they  repre 
sent  the  state  of  public  opinion  which  for  years  I, 
and  any  Abolitionist,  had  to  contend  against.  It 
ostracized  me,  as  it  did  others,  from  many  fashiona 
ble  parties.  Ticknor's  pleasant  literary  coteries 
were  no  longer  accessible.  I  was  unwilling  to  be 
treated  as  Charles  Sumner  told  me  that  he  was 
treated  by  Mr.  Ticknor,  before  whom  all  had  to 
deferentially  bow  on  this  subject  of  slavery  in  the 
South.  Mr.  Sumner  told  me  a  year  subsequently 
that  Mr.  Ticknor  treated  him  so  outrageously  after 
his  avowal  of  anti-slavery  sentiments  that  self-respect 
prevented  him  from  ever  after  entering  that  cold, 
aristocratic,  but  charming  abode.  Captain  Oxnard, 
one  of  my  father's  old  and  respected  friends,  who  had 
always  greeted  me  with  a  smile  when,  as  a  youth,  I 
met  him  in  State  Street,  would  even  stare  and  scowl 
without  speaking  when  we  met  after  I  had  openly 
declared  myself  as  one  of  the  hated  Abolitionists. 
A  brother  doctor  met  me  in  Green  Street.  Friends 


102  '    HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

of  the  same  age  and  loving  one  another,  he  coun 
seled  me  in  the  kindliness  of  his  heart  to  beware  of 
declaring  so  openly  my  views,  as  I  felt  compelled 
to  do.  I  heard  him  with  apparent  calmness,  whilst 
disgusted  at  his  suggestion  that  I  "  never  would  be 
successful  in  my  profession  if  I  continued  to  do  as 
I  had  done  for  a  few  weeks."  Looking  him  straight 
in  the  eye,  I  replied  substantially  as  follows:  "It 
is  very  kind  of  you  to  give  me  counsel,  although  I 
cannot  follow  it.  You  will  bear  me  witness  that  I 
have  never  thrust  my  opinion  upon  you  or  any  one. 
I  have  acted  as  I  have  thought  rightly  for  the  slave. 
Now  let  me  tell  you  that  I  deem  you  and  others  like 
you,  who  would  repress  free  speech  upon  slavery,  as 
men  wholly  recreant  to  the  principles  for  which  our 
fathers  fought  and  died  at  Bunker  Hill.  Good- 
morning,  my  dear  doctor."  And  I  summarily  left 
him  to  his  own  meditations.  What  his  thoughts 
were  at  the  time  I  know  not,  but  I  do  know  that  he 
was  subsequently  the  friend  of  John  A.  Andrew,  and 
for  many  years  Surgeon-General  of  Massachusetts, 
when  the  old  Bay  State  was  renovated  under  the 
stirring  events  of  the  Civil  War,  and  our  friendship 
was  never  marred  by  my  plain  speech. 

As  years  rolled  by,  we  had  plenty  of  facts  to  con 
vince  me  that  I  was  right  in  being  an  Abolitionist; 
and,  although  in  the  eyes  of  some  I  was  injuring 
myself  professionally,  I  could  not  give  up  the  idea 
that  I  was  bound  to  avow  my  sentiments  on  the  ac 
cursed  system,  especially  when  orthodox  and  hetero 
dox  ministers  were  either  silent  or  even  praised  the 
institution  as  one  ordained  of  God. 


THE  GARRISON  MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE       103 

The  following  letters  from  Charles  Emerson,  Harriet 
Martineau,  and  Charles  Sumner,  as  well  as  one  written  by 
himself  to  his  former  Salem  pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brazer, 
during  this  period,  serve  to  show  that  while  deeply  stirred 
upon  the  subject  of  slavery,  his  mind  was  yet  keenly  alive 
to  other  matters  whether  religious,  scientific,  or  of  a  purely 
friendly  nature. 

TO  REV.   ME.   BRAZER,   OF  SALEM. 

BOSTON,  June  27, 1835. 

MY  DEAR  SIR,  —  I  promised  to  tell  you  of  my 
progress ;  I  will  now  try  to  do  so.  I  stated  to  you 
in  my  first  letter  to  you  my  want  of  confidence  in 
the  immortality  of  the  soul,  from  want  of  perfect 
confidence  in  the  Bible  as  a  revelation  from  God. 
I  began  soon  after,  or  rather  about  this  epoch,  to 
reason  with  myself  as  to  immortality,  and  the  con 
sequence  is  that  now  I  believe  most  firmly  in  the  im 
mortality  of  the  soul,  and  that  it  is  my  duty,  if  I 
wish  to  be  happy  in  the  next  world,  to  cultivate  my 
intellect,  refine  and  elevate  my  motives  of  action,  in 
the  greatest  degree  possible  here.  I  said  I  reasoned 
with  myself  or  my  own  nature,  and  by  a  train  of 
thought,  metaphysical  enough  I  allow,  came  first  to 
the  conclusion  that  there  is  nothing  in  nature  incon 
sistent  with  the  idea  of  immortality.  In  fact,  all  the 
operations  of  nature  rather  proved  it  to  me  than 
otherwise.  Secondly,  while  in  this  state  I  was  in 
duced'  to  join  the  Sunday-school  as  a  teacher.  I 
had  been  longing  to  have  some  young  children  in 
whom  to  instil  at  least  a  love  of  nature,  but  I  hardly 
felt  it  right  to  enter  a  Sunday-school  with  any  feel- 


104  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

ing  inconsistent  with  it.  I  thank  God  most  fer 
vently,  my  dear  sir,  for  allowing  me  the  opportunity 
of  meeting  a  Sunday  class.  I  have  studied  human 
nature  at  its  fountain,  and  have  been  delighted  with 
its  purity,  its  nobleness,  ay,  its  divinity.  I  have 
worshiped  God  in  the  heart  of  a  little  child.  I 
have  compared  that  heart  with  that  of  Jesus,  and  I 
have  felt  from  the  depths  of  my  soul  the  beauty  and 
truth  of  the  character  of  Jesus.  My  Sunday-school 
has  thus  done  me  much  good.  Third,  I  have  con 
sidered  the  yearnings  and  aspirations  of  my  own 
soul.  I  felt  that  the  sympathies,  the  affections,  the 
business,  the  routine  of  this  life  were  not  enough 
for  me.  There  was  a  something  deep  in  me  which 
nothing  on  earth  could  satisfy.  God  is  good ;  He 
is  just.  I  never  doubted  these  two  attributes  of  the 
Deity.  I  had  been  able  always  to  trace  proofs  of  them 
in  the  flower,  leaf,  or  the  little  insect,  or  in  any  of 
the  most  simple  of  the  works  of  nature.  It  was  incon 
sistent,  therefore,  with  the  goodness  of  this  Almighty 
Being  thus  to  excite  in  my  mind  lofty  aspirations 
for  perfection,  without  giving  me  an  opportunity  of 
gaining  purity.  I  felt  that  my  passions  were  too 
strong  for  me  to  be  able  to  go  far  in  the  attainment 
of  my  beau  id&al  of  human  nature  here  below; 
hence  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  future  life.  Fourth, 
I  drew  a  strong  argument  (that  is,  to  my  mind)  in 
favor  of  my  soul  being  intended  ultimately  for  an 
existence  of  which  we  have  now  a  very  faint  idea, 
from  the  effect  produced  upon  me  by  my  severest 
lessons.  Though  young  in  years,  I  have  suffered 


THE  GARRISON  MOB  — CORRESPONDENCE       105 

much.  I  have  known  enough  of  the  world's  trials, 
its  vexations  and  its  follies ;  but  from  the  effect  pro 
duced  upon  me  by  my  greatest  losses,  I  am  sure  of 
my  soul  being  of  a  different  make  from  anything 
else  I  know  of,  and  destined  to  something  beyond 
a  present  life.  Within  twenty-four  hours  after  re 
ceiving  the  news  of  the  death  of  my  dear  mother,  I 
was  perfectly  happy,  and  my  heart  caught  then  a 
glimpse  of  heaven,  and  I  was  sure  that  my  soul  was 
something  certainly  more  than  mere  clay.  All  these 
considerations  have  given  me  a  faith  (which  I  trust 
will  never  be  overcome)  in  a  future  life.  I  make 
every  action  of  my  life  now  bend  as  far  as  possible 
to  this  faith.  I  try  to  keep  it  always  in  my  mind. 
I  take  Jesus  for  my  model,  and  believe  it  to  be  my 
duty  to  imitate  Him  and  excite  others  to  do  so.  At 
the  same  time,  my  dear  sir,  I  bow  to  no  man.  I 
sign  no  creeds.  I  observe  no  ceremonies  save  those 
in  which  the  heart  will  fully  sympathize.  I  am  a 
radical,  perhaps,  as  to  ceremony ;  for,  methinks  we 
should  act  upon  the  principle  of  the  gospel,  and  not 
think  we  are  Christians  because  we  go  to  church. 
I  am  neither  Unitarian  nor  Trinitarian,  but  I  strive 
to  be  a  follower  of  Christ.  H.  I.  B. 

FROM   CHARLES   C.    EMERSON.1 

CONCORD,  July  17,  1835. 

DEAR  BOWDITCH,  —  I  thank  you  very  much  for  your 
frank,  friendly  letter.     I  always  count  it  a  favor  to  be 

1  Charles  Chauncy  Emerson  was  an  elder  brother  of  Ralph  Waldo 
Emerson,  and  a  classmate  of  my  father's.    He  was  thought  to  be  of 


106  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

invited  to  pass  from  the  outside  to  the  inside  of  a  man.  It 
is  not  very  common.  Most  people  would  a  little  rather 
fix  for  themselves  the  line  to  which  their  acquaintances 
shall  come,  within  which  they  do  not  care  to  introduce 
any  observer  or  spy ;  and  yet  I  think  the  desire  to  be 
known  is  in  a  good  mind  proportioned  to  its  force  of 
thought.  They  who  are  wholly  occupied  with  things  out 
of  doors  are  satisfied  with  the  society  in  which  these  things 
are  the  foundation  of  all  intercourse ;  but  he  who  has  be 
gun  to  study  himself,  to  search  for  principles  that  he  may 
embrace  with  his  whole  soul,  who,  in  Carlyle's  phrase, 
looks  at  a  man  not  as  a  "  clothes-horse  "  or  "  patent  di 
gester,"  but  desires,  ay,  yearns  to  separate  from  the  mob 
of  such  them  who  are  living  spirits,  God's  genuine  crea 
tures,  that  he  may  "  wear  them  in  his  heart  of  hearts," 
he  is  ready  to  lay  himself  open  at  every  point ;  to  throw 
down  all  the  fences  of  artificial  manners  and  unmeaning 
commonplaces,  and,  as  far  forth  as  is  possible  to  him, 
become  known  that  he  also  may  know. 

You  appear  to  think  it  is  more  rare  and  difficult  for 
men  to  know  one  another  and  themselves  in  Yankee  land 
than  abroad.  I  know  we  are  apt  to  put  faith  in  the 
means  whereby  we  are  healed  or  enlightened,  and  desire 
that  others  should  apply  the  same.  But  the  world  is  rich 
in  instruction  and  opportunity ;  they  are  broad  and  gen 
eral  as  the  air.  "  Coelum  non  animum  mutant  qui  trans 
mare  currunt."  l  What  you  found  at  Paris  would  have 
come  to  you,  perhaps  not  quite  so  suddenly  and  forcibly, 
had  you  stayed  at  home.  It  is  part  of  the  growth  of  the 
mind ;  and  if  Professor  Jouffroy  had  never  spoken,  some 
other  messenger  would  have  been  commissioned  to  carry 
the  same  truth  to  your  door.  I  do  not,  however,  mean  to 

greater  promise  at  that  time  than  his  brother  Waldo,  and  his  early 
death  was  deeply  mourned. 

1  Horace,  Epistles,  Book  I.  Ep.  11. 


THE  GARRISON  MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE       107 

deny  that  we  of  the  English  blood  are  prone  to  be  slug 
gish  and  unsympathetic,  and  that  a  new  variety  of  Man  is 
shown  us,  much  to  our  advantage,  in  the  livelier  races  of 
the  French,  the  Spanish,  the  Italians.  A  great  change  is 
valuable  as  exciting  to  observation  and  reflection. 

You  believe  in  Christianity.  So  do  I.  And  at  this 
day,  when  much  of  the  religion  in  our  country  is  conven 
tional,  when  faith  has  almost  died  out  of  the  forms  it  once 
vivified,  it  is  refreshing  from  time  to  time  to  meet  with  a 
hearty,  unsuperstitious  believer.  It  is  not  the  amount  of 
what  a  man  believes  that  I  care  to  know  in  comparison 
with  this,  —  "that  he  really  believes."  It  is  the  seed  of 
life,  faith,  —  faith  in  something.  For  an  enlightened  mind 
will  fast  draw  to  itself  truth  from  all  quarters  when  once 
it  has  taken  its  station  and  reposes  firm  on  any  principle. 
It  is  the  "  TTOV  O-TW  "  we  chiefly  need ;  the  larger  part  of 
mankind  go  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  and  it  is  all 
"  make-believe,"  and  they  believe  nothing,  not  even  their 
own  spiritual  existence. 

I  will  not  now  weary  you  with  a  long  letter,  for  I  do 
not  feel  in  the  vein  for  writing,  and  am  too  unacquainted 
with  your  habit  of  thought  to  be  able  to  guide  my  pen 
wittingly  upon  a  right  track.  I  did  not  like  to  let  your 
letter  lie  longer  without  telling  you  that  I  was  very  glad 
at  receiving  it. 

Pray  believe  me 

Your  friend  and  servant, 

CHARLES  C.  EMERSON. 

The  following  letter,  written  to  my  father  about  this  time 
by  Harriet  Martin eau,  who  during  her  stay  in  America 
was  a  frequent  and  welcome  visitor  at  my  grandfather's 
house,  throws  such  a  pleasant  light  upon  the  author's 
character,  which  has  at  times  been  thought  to  have  been 
rather  austere  and  unsympathetic,  that  I  have  thought 
it  well  to  give  it  to  the  public. 


108  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

WESTMINSTER,  December  10, 1838. 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND,  —  You  must  have  wondered  that 
Miss  Jeffrey  and  I  have  never  acknowledged  your  kind 
present  of  Ketzsh's  chess  game.  The  reason  is  that  it  has 
only  just  arrived.  It  has  been  left  at  the  door  with  a 
little  bit  of  loose  paper,  without  string  or  seal,  which  I 
mention  that  in  case  any  letter  should  have  dropped  out 
the  accident  may  not  be  imputed  to  carelessness  of  mine. 
I  thank  you  most  heartily  for  this  present.  How  beauti 
ful  it  is ;  how  full  of  matter  for  study !  I  dearly  love 
allegories,  and  such  an  one  as  this  addressed  to  the  eye  is 
a  treat  indeed.  Your  remembrance  of  myself  is  not  the 
least  gratifying  part  of  this  arrival.  I  assure  you  it  is 
very  cheering.  I  have  written  to  Louisa  to  tell  her  what 
lies  here  for  her,  and  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  hear  from 
her  in  due  time.  My  dear  friend,  I  have  thought  often 
and  much  of  you  all,  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  your 
parent.  I  well  remember  all  you  said  to  me  about  the 
loss  of  your  mother,  and  this  quickened  my  sympathy  for 
you  now.  Here,  too,  I  have  my  own  particular  interest. 
Your  father  was  eminently  kind  to  me,  and  I  claim  a 
right  to  feel  his  loss,  though  I  well  knew  when  I  left  your 
country  that  I  should  never  see  him  again.  Among  my 
many  recollections  of  him  none  are  more  vivid  than  those 
of  his  conversation  with  me  about  death,  and  about  your 
mother  as  having  gone  before  him.  Allow  me  to  wish  for 
you  all  that  you  may  ever  be  able  to  think  of  the  future 
life  with  the  same  strength,  cheerfulness,  and  simplicity 
with  which  he  spoke  of  it  to  me. 

Shall  we  not  see  you  here  some  day,  or  are  you  so  set 
tled  down  to  business  that  you  do  not  think  of  moving  ? 
We  are  glad  on  other  accounts  than  from  private  friendship 
to  see  here  such  as  you.  Have  you  heard  what  a  favorite 
Sumner  is  ?  He  will  be  able  to  tell  you  more  about  the 
English  than  almost  any  other  American.  We  like  him 


THE  GARRISON  MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE       109 

much  and  are  gratified  to  find  that  he  enjoys  his  travels. 
If  you  were  to  come  now  you  would  hardly  know  your 
humble  servant ;  I  might  match  your  sister  for  health  (I 
say  nothing  about  looks,  you  know).  My  love  to  her. 
My  hearing  is  considerably  improved  in  the  least  defec 
tive  ear,  and  I  have  no  ailment  whatever,  nor  have  had 
for  these  two  years  except  when  fairly  worn  down  with 
the  bustle  of  my  spring  life.  I  attribute  the  great  im 
provement  in  my  health,  dear  doctor,  to  the  use  of  the 
cold  bath  every  morning  all  the  year  'round.  I  assure 
you  the  quantity  of  work  I  get  through  without  injury  is 
enormous,  and  in  our  short  human  life,  with  society  want 
ing  help  on  all  hands,  this  is  no  trifling  consideration. 
I  do  not  expect  to  get  much  further  on  with  my  hearing, 
but  the  degree  which  I  have  recovered  is  a  great  comfort. 
I  am  safe  in  the  streets ;  use  no  trumpet  in  the  open  air 
or  in  shops ;  and  in  the  summer  I  heard  larks  in  abun 
dance  and  nightingales  for  the  first  time  for  twelve  years. 
I  know  you  will  rejoice  in  all  this ;  that  is  why  I  write  so 
fully  about  it. 

Now,  what  are  you  about  ?    My  love  to  all. 
Ever  yours  very  truly, 

HARRIET  MARTINEAU. 

My  father  always  felt  a  warm  regard  and  great  respect 
for  Charles  Sumner,  which  feeling  he  retained  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  although  at  times  disagreeing  with  him.  Sev 
eral  of  Sumner's  letters  to  him  have  been  preserved,  and 
the  following  is  one  of  many  that  show  the  really  warm, 
friendly  nature  of  a  man  often  misunderstood  by  those 
not  intimate  with  him. 

EDINBORO',  September  28, 1838. 

MY  DEAR  BOWDITCH,  —  I  take  advantage  of  a  quiet 
moment  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  a  friend  to  write  you 
what  I  have  vowed  to  myself  some  weeks  ago  I  would  write. 


110  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

I  attended  the  British  Association  at  Newcastle.  At  the 
last  and  greatest  meeting,  Mr.  Babbage,1  in  making  some 
remarks  on  the  debt  due  to  strangers,  said  that  he  could 
not  forbear  calling  the  attention  of  the  association  and 
of  his  audience  to  the  lamented  death  of  Dr.  Bowditch, 
and  went  on  to  pronounce  a  eulogium  upon  your  honored 
father,  which  made  me  rejoice  in  having  been  able  to  claim 
him  as  a  countryman  and  friend.  In  the  course  of  his 
remarks,  Mr.  Babbage  alluded  to  you  in  the  most  flatter 
ing  manner,  and  said  that  he  had  been  truly  gratified  by 
the  opportunity  of  forming  your  acquaintance.  I  was  on 
the  platform  by  the  side  of  the  chairman  (the  Bishop  of 
Durham)  when  Mr.  Babbage  spoke,  and  I  could  not  for 
bear  saying  to  him  as  soon  as  he  was  done  how  grateful  I 
was  for  the  kind  language  which  he  had  used  with  regard 
to  both  your  father  and  yourself,  and  that  I  should  not 
fail  to  let  you  know  of  it.  Now  I  doubt  not  that  you 
have  already  heard  of  this,  either  through  the  printed  re 
ports  or  perhaps  through  some  private  correspondent ;  but 
I  flatter  myself  that  you  may  not  be  indisposed  to  receive 
a  confirmation  of  it  from  the  pen  of  a  friend  who  was  on 
the  spot  at  the  time.  It  is  not  such  testimonials  as  these, 
I  know,  that  will  assuage  the  grief  for  a  lost  parent ;  but 
do  they  not  gratify  and  elevate  the  spirit,  by  showing  that 
your  bereavement  is  one  in  which  the  world  takes  an  in 
terest  ;  in  short,  that  it  is  "  no  fee-grief  due  to  a  single 
breast?"  Pardon  me  for  touching  this  strain.  But  I 
cannot  write  to  you  without  expressing  my  sympathy  to 
you  and  your  family  in  your  great  loss.  You  doubtless 
are  aware  that  Dr.  Bowditch  was  on  the  point  of  being 
chosen  a  member  of  the  French  Institute  when  the  melan 
choly  news  was  received  of  his  death.  I  was  in  Paris  at 
the  time,  and  was  in  the  way  of  knowing  something  of  the 

1  Charles  Babbage,  the  inventor  of  the  famous  "  calculating  ma 
chine/'  an  account  of  which  my  father  gives  in  his  later  journals. 


THE  GARRISON  MOB  —  CORRESPONDENCE       111 

proceedings.  Sir  David  Brewster  told  me  that  Mr.  Bab- 
bage  hoped  to  receive  an  invitation  from  the  American 
Government  to  come  out  and  erect  his  machine  among 
us.  He  was  much  chagrined  and  mortified  that  his  own 
Government  has  not  taken  it  up,  and  would  rejoice  in  an 
opportunity  of  giving  another  country  the  glory  of  first 
erecting  it.  To  erect  it  would  cost  some  ,£60,000.  I 
think  Mr.  Babbage  had  received  some  wrong  impressions 
from  some  of  our  countrymen,  for  our  Government  (and  I 
am  sorry  for  it)  would  no  more  give  that  sum  for  that 
purpose  than  keep  a  hunting  pack  of  hounds  with  game 
keepers,  whippers-in,  and  steppes  of  earth.  I  wish  that 
you  would  remember  me  to  your  brothers  and  Miss  Bow- 
ditch,  and  believe  me,  with  great  regard,  always  faithfully 
yours, 

CHARLES  SUMNER. 


CHAPTER  VI 

CONNECTION  WITH  THE  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL 

1835-1843 

ABOUT  the  year  1835  my  father  became  an  earnest 
worker  in  the  Warren  Street  Chapel,  an  institution  which 
still  exists  but  is  now  called  the  Barnard  Memorial.  It 
was  founded  by  the  Rev.  Charles  F.  Barnard,  and  was 
intended  as  a  meeting  place  for  the  children  of  poor 
parents.  His  work  there  satisfied  his  desire  to  help  others 
less  fortunate  than  himself,  and  he  never  lost  his  interest 
in  the  institution,  although  later  he  felt  it  his  duty  to 
sever  his  connection  with  it,  owing  to  the  intensity  of  his 
anti-slavery  views,  which  clashed  with  those  of  many  of 
his  associates  less  ardent  than  he  when  the  question  came 
of  admitting  colored  children  to  the  Chapel. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  journal  begun  in  1842 
are  given,  inasmuch  as  they  seem  to  give  the  keynote  of 
my  father's  course  in  after  life,  not  only  with  reference  to 
slavery  but  to  all  questions  in  which  moral  principles 
were  involved. 

October  18, 1842. 

I  resume  my  journal;  and  by  that  term  I  do 
not  mean  any  daily  account  of  my  doings  from  the 
rising  to  the  setting  sun,  but  I  resume  the  com 
memoration  of  those  great  periods  of  my  life  when, 
standing  upon  what  I  thought  the  right,  I  have 
tried  to  do  my  duty.  Those  seasons  in  a  man's 


LIBRARY  OF  NATHANIEL  BOWDITCH  AT  8  OTIS  PLACE 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    113 

journey  through  this  world  are  fit  occasions  for  his 
commemoration.  Usually  at  these  times  one  may 
with  sorrow  think  of  parting  with  long-tried  friends, 
but  his  sorrow  is  ennobled  by  the  beckoning  hand 
of  the  Almighty  which  calls  him  onwards,  assuring 
him  that  peace  and  greater  power  shall  be  his  lot  if, 
disregarding  all  minor  influences,  he  rests  solely  on 
God  and  his  own  conscience.  A  tranquillity  which 
nothing  else  gives,  steals  over  him  as  with  solemn 
earnestness  he  bids  good-by,  and  leaves  them  for 
conscience'  sake. 

These  thoughts  are  suggested  by  my  leaving  the 
Warren  Street  Chapel.  To  this  institution  I  became 
attached  immediately  after  my  return  from  Europe. 
I  joined  it  because  I  thought  it  was  to  be  free  from 
the  usual  slavery  to  public  opinion,  which  decides 
what  shall  be  taught  by  our  religious  and  literary 
institutions.  It  was  devoted  to  the  general  improve 
ment  of  the  young  and  the  poor ;  a  blessed  object, 
truly,  and  to  it  I  devoted  my  heart.  I  forsook  all, 
and  fought  and  begged  for  that ;  it  was  to  me  a 
paradise.  No  place  seemed  to  me  half  so  sacred ; 
none  had  such  sweet  influence  over  me,  as  Sabbath 
after  Sabbath  I  met  the  cheerful  hearts  and  warm 
hands  of  children.  Many  times  have  I  visited  the 
Chapel  and  been  made  better  for  the  ensuing  week. 
I  needed  no  more  stirring  sermon  than  the  numerous 
acts  of  self-devotion  that  I  saw  among  the  girls  and 
boys  there ;  and  if  the  old  folks  were  not  exactly 
what  I  liked  to  see,  I  gained  all  I  needed  from  my 
unreserved  intercourse  with  the  young.  Nearly  a 


114  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

year  since  I  began  to  have  some  doubt  about  the 
amount  of  benefit  derived  to  the  community  by  the 
whole  system  of  religious  ceremony  upheld  so  ear 
nestly  by  the  New  England  people.  I  saw  slavery 
throwing  its  viper  folds  around  us,  binding  us  even 
at  the  North  by  its  power ;  and  yet  no  preacher  dared 
to  open  his  mouth,  but  the  fingers  of  the  money  hold 
ers  were  thrust  over  it  for  the  purpose  of  checking 
the  free  utterance  of  what  he  considered  the  gospel 
truth.  Some  priests  even  were  hardy  enough  to 
attempt  to  prove  slavery  one  of  God's  ordinances 
and  consistent  with  the  mild  and  loving  precepts  of 
Christianity !  I  looked  around  and  saw  intemper 
ance  lording  it  over  the  land,  laying  its  thousands 
of  victims  low  in  the  dust.  Yet  if  any  proclaimed 
temperance,  and  cried  aloud  into  the  ears  of  those 
who  catered  to  intemperance  that  they  were  verily 
more  guilty  than  the  poor  drunkard,  then  forsooth 
arose  all  the  money  changers  and  cried,  ((  This  is 
no  *  gospel  truth.'  Preach  the  gospel  and  leave 
abolition  and  temperance  to  themselves."  Fools 
that  they  were !  Did  they  not  see  that  then"  course 
tended  to  the  grossest  infidelity?  ...  As  I  heard 
such  preachers  as  these,  I  cried  within  myself,  "  Verily 
Charity  covereth  a  multitude  of  sins  when  it  makes 
peace  with  the  slaveholder  and  the  seller  of  liquor 
for  the  purposes  of  self-destruction.  How  is  this?" 
thought  I.  "  Do  these  hirelings,  who  have  been 
ordained  before  the  world  ministers  of  the  divine 
Jesus,  do  these  men  pretend  to  say  that  slavery  is 
consistent  with  Christianity?  Then  they  or  Chris- 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    115 

tianity  must  be  liars."  I  sought  within  the  peaceful 
doctrines  of  Christ  for  anything  that  tended,  in  the 
most  remote  degree,  to  sustain  slavery  or  intemper 
ance.  I  could  find  nothing.  On  the  contrary,  I 
was  led  to  believe  that  Christian  doctrines  fairly 
interpreted  put  aside  all  slavish  obedience  of  one 
man  to  another,  and  bade  every  human  being  to 
stand  up  a  man  before  his  God,  and  to  bow  in  rever 
ence  to  no  other  being.  By  the  same  doctrine  I 
tested  the  cause  of  temperance,  and  I  saw  that  the 
drunkard-maker  is  as  much  worse  than  the  poor  sot 
as  he  that  setteth  the  snare  is  more  base  and  de 
graded  than  he  that  falleth  into  it.  But,  as  I  have 
above  stated,  I  heard  no  priest  of  my  mother's  faith 
boldly  declaring  these  doctrines.  Their  temples 
were  made  for  "worship,"  nothing  sectarian  or 
worldly  was  admitted  into  their  holy  aisles.  Or,  if 
perchance  a  man  among  them  stood  forth  a  faithful 
'mongst  the  faithless,  then  these  false  priests  turned 
upon  him,  and  instead  of  Christian  support  and 
sympathy  they  stood  by  and  held  the  robes  of  those 
who  stoned  the  martyr.  My  soul  arose  indignant, 
and  I  vowed  extermination  to  the  whole  race  of 
priestly  sycophants.  I  seemed  called  to  buckle  on 
the  armor  of  faith  in  men  and,  like  a  good  knight, 
do  battle  for  justice  and  the  oppressed.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  I  was  called  upon  by  a  voice  from  Heaven 
as  Saul  of  old  was.  ...  I  looked  at  home  at  the 
Warren  Street  Chapel.  I  could  not  help  feeling,  in 
spite  of  my  heart  which  drew  me  towards  it,  that  it, 
also,  was  faithless  as  the  rest.  "  Should  I,  could  I, 


116  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

preach  against  what  had  always  been  to  me  like  a 
pet  child;  which  had  sprung  up  a  beautiful  infant 
from  a  glorious  idea,  and  which  had  been  to  me  the 
source  of  so  many  pure  joys?"  My  heart  sank.  I 
had  no  one  to  converse  with.  I  wrote  to  Mrs.  Lydia 
Maria  Child.  She  thought  I  had  outgrown  the 
Chapel,  but  that  was  not  a  sufficient  answer.  Sup 
posing  she  was  right,  and  I  had  outgrown  it;  that 
was  no  reason  for  forsaking  it.  Nay,  was  it  not 
my  duty  to  remain  like  an  older  brother  to  give  at 
times  notes  of  warning?  .  .  .  At  this  time  arose 
another  system  at  the  Chapel — a  system  which  set 
out  with  the  principle  that  order  was  to  be  pro 
cured  first,  and  afterwards,  if  possible,  love.  Now 
we  commenced  the  institution  with  the  determination 
to  overcome  all  by  love,  and  I  was  sorely  grieved  to 
see  the  principle  altered.  I  protested,  but  unavail- 
ingly  for  a  time.  It  was  six  months  since,  that  on 
a  Saturday  forenoon  I  wended  my  way  to  the  house 
of  Dr.  William  Ellery  Channing,  a  great  and  good 
man,  who  now  lies  in  Mt.  Auburn.  I  went  in  dis 
turbed,  utterly  uncertain  as  to  what  end  my  present 
troubled  state  of  mind  would  lead  me.  I  went  to 
him  fearlessly,  for  I  was  sure  that,  though  he  would 
disagree  with  me  in  my  view  of  the  church,  still  he 
would  listen  with  respect  to  the  outpouring  of  an 
honest  heart,  and  that  I  was  determined  to  show 
to  him  whatever  might  be  the  result.  He  received 
me  gladly.  I  told  him  I  came  to  him  as  to  a  father 
to  tell  him  all  I  felt,  all  I  hoped,  feared,  and  detested. 
I  came  to  him  with  the  full  conviction  that  although 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    117 

he   might   disagree  with   me   in    regard   to    every 
sentence  I  uttered,  I  felt  assured   he    would   not 
blame  me,  but  answer  to  his  best  ability  the  many 
doubts  that  had  arisen  in  my  mind  in  reference  to 
what  I  knew  he  held  most  dear.     I  then  reviewed 
with   him  all  my  thoughts  which  I  have   detailed 
above.     I  told  him  I  could  not  help  feeling  that  the 
majority  of  the  churches  were  a  hindrance  to  hu 
manity  ;  that  the  true  leaders  of  philanthropy  were 
outside  the  church  ;  that  the  church  was  considered  a 
holy  thing  by  the  majority,  whereas,  since  it  was  faith 
less  to  humanity,  its  very  reputation  for  sanctity  made 
it  baser  than  it  otherwise  would  be.     I  had  clung 
to  our  Chapel  as  a  resource,  but  I  was  beginning  to 
lose  hope  in  that,  as  it  had  lost  its  faith  in  its  first 
principles,  and  I  felt  that  perhaps  I  should  leave  it, 
though  I  said  so  with  much  anguish,  as  my  heart 
was  bound  up  in  the  youth  of  the  institution.     And 
if  I  should  leave  the  Chapel  I  should  be  much  im 
pelled  to  avow  utter  hostility  to  all  churches  and 
ministers,   until   I  could  find    some   more  faithful 
servants.      To  all  my  remarks  he   answered   most 
benignantly  and  calmly.     He  could  not  agree  with 
me  in  my  estimate  of  the  advantages  of  churches. 
There  was  too  much  faithlessness ;  nevertheless  the 
evil  was  not  in  social  worship  itself,  but  in  the  man 
ner   of    its   ministrations.     He   had   observed   this 
tendency  for  something  better  and  more  natural  in 
the  ceremonies  of   the  church :  that  the  idea  was 
developing  itself  at  the  new  congregation  now  being 
gathered  by  Mr.  Clarke.1     "  I  want  you  to  go  there, 

1  Rev,  James  Freeman  Clarke. 


118  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

and  I  think  you  will  find  something  satisfactory. 
You  ought  to  leave  the  Chapel,  if  you  find  it  unfit 
for  your  present  state  of  mind ;  but  really,"  he  con 
tinued,  "  I  think  you  will  find  that  man  naturally 
tends  to  social  worship." 

We  conversed  about  three  hours.  I  wish  I  could 
remember  all  his  remarks,  but  I  am  sure  I  never 
passed  so  tranquilizing  a  time  with  any  human  being. 
It  was  truly  the  Sabbath  to  me,  and  I  went  out  into 
the  balmy  air  of  the  spring ;  my  soul  was  subdued 
and  so  calm  that  I  could  scarcely  imagine  myself  the 
same  being  that  I  was  at  my  entrance,  when,  dis 
tracted  with  doubt,  I  came  to  lay  my  heart  open 
before  the  only  man  to  whom  I  could  have  dared  to 
speak  so  openly.  I  never  shall  forget  the  quiet  re 
mark  with  which  he  met  an  exclamation  of  mine  : 
"I  fear  this  subject  of  religion  and  religious  ob 
servances  will  always  keep  my  mind  in  a  turmoil.  For 
many  years  I  was  sorely  distressed,  but  at  length 
found  peace  and  rest  in  the  views  upon  which  the 
Warren  Street  Chapel  was  founded.  Now  I  am  all 
disturbed  again,  and  have  been  more  or  less  so  for 
months,  with  the  prospect  of  being  so  still  longer." 
"No,"  said  he,  "you  are  mistaken.  True  religion 
always  gives  quiet  and  peace.  It  is  its  nature  to 
give  calmness,  and  be  assured  that  at  some  tune 
you  will  find  it  so,  though  now  you  may  be  much 
disturbed."  1 

1  The  following  footnote  is  found  written  on  the  edge  of  the  page 
of  the  date  of  November  20, 1880  :  "  Never  was  a  truer  word  spoken. 
I  have  my  own  religion.  I  go  anywhere  that  I  can  find  free  but 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    119 

I  left  him  and  went  to  Mr.  Clarke,  but  to  my 
heart  it  was  still  the  same,  a  mere  ceremony.  I  saw 
no  vivacious  kindling  up  of  the  philanthropic  spirit. 
On  the  contrary,  that  ceremony  was  destined  to  be 
come  a  mere  ritual. 

But  the  world  wagged  on.  The  first  of  August 
came,  the  anniversary  of  West  Indian  Emancipation, 
and  I  felt  that  I  should  be  conscience  struck  were  I 
to  let  that  anniversary  pass  by  without  noticing  it 
with  our  children.  We  called  them,  I  well  remem 
ber,  many  years  ago  to  see  the  beautiful  Halle's 
comet,  that  was  running  its  majestic  race  across  our 
western  horizon.  We  talked  to  them  of  earthly 
subjects,  and  surely  we  ought,  I  thought,  to  com 
memorate  the  time  when  800,000  human  beings  were 
made  men  and  women.  I  sought  for  some  one  to 
address  them,  but  I  found  no  one.  The  lot  fell,  I 
was  certain,  on  me.  I  asked  permission  for  the  use 
of  the  Chapel.  It  was  granted  with  some  opposition 
on  the  ground  of  expediency.  I  spoke  to  them 
on  slavery  as  it  arose ;  on  the  "  Middle  Passage  " 
horror ;  and  of  that  glorious  prayer  on  the  eve  of 
Emancipation  when  the  assembled  multitudes  "  knelt 
and  received  the  Book  of  Freedom  in  silence." 
Finally,  I  alluded  to  the  slavery  of  our  own  country. 
I  did  say  that  I  would  sooner  cut  off  my  right  arm 
than  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  This  event  quieted  my 
mind.  I  felt  that  perhaps  a  little  seed  had  been 
sown,  but  I  heard  nothing  from  any  person  about 

reverential  ceremonials  and  speech.     Phillips  Brooks  is  my  present 
ideal  preacher,  although  I  believe  scarcely  a  word  of  his  doctrines." 


120  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

it,  save  from  a  worthy  old  woman,  who  thought  I 
had  better  have  some  more  meetings  of  the  same 
kind.  But  soon  the  trouble  came  up  again.  I  saw 
again,  more  vividly  than  before,  that  our  building 
was  not  free,  yet  I  hoped  to  make  it  so.  I  knew 
great  difficulty  had  been  experienced  in  getting  up 
a  certain  course  of  lyceum  lectures.  I  thought  that 
perhaps  I  should  be  allowed  to  have  a  course  of 
anti-slavery  lectures  in  case  I  took  the  whole  trouble 
upon  myself. 

I  therefore  wrote  the  following  letter  :  — 

TO  MESSRS.   BARNARD,   EMMONS,  WELCH,   VOSE,   ETC. 

October,  1842. 

MY  FRIENDS,  —  You  are  well  aware  I  have 
been  for  some  time  past  deeply  interested  in  the 
cause  of  anti-slavery.  It  has  of  late  weighed  most 
heavily  upon  me,  not  because  I  am  unwilling  to  be 
called  an  Abolitionist,  for  every  one  claims  that  title 
now,  but  because  I  had  faintly  foreseen  the  un 
pleasant  situation  I  now  feel  myself  placed  in.  I 
stand,  as  each  one  of  you  do,  somewhat  individually 
responsible  for  the  errors  of  omission  and  of  com 
mission  observable  at  the  Warren  Street  institution. 
Since  the  commencement  of  the  anti-slavery  move 
ment,  the  Chapel  has  been  silent,  and  I  have  con 
sented  thereto,  though  for  a  year  past  with  many 
severe  stings  of  remorse.  I  cannot  do  so  any 
longer.  I  do  not  wish  to  appear  to  force  anything 
upon  you,  but  I  ask  that  I,  at  least,  may  have  a 
clear  conscience  on  this  matter.  I  do  feel  that  the 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    121 

institution  should  take  some  interest  in  it.  Never 
theless,  you  may  not  think  as  I  do.  I  believe  that 
it  ought  to  take  an  open  stand,  by  allowing  meet 
ings  to  be  held  by  others  than  our  own  brethren  for 
public  lectures  and  conversations  on  slavery,  as  it 
has  allowed  the  Washingtonians  to  meet  and  consult 
together  on  temperance. 

To  bring  the  question  before  you,  I  ask  you  to 
allow  me  to  have  from  six  to  ten  public  anti-slavery 
lectures  delivered  this  winter.  I  ask  you  to  allow 
me  the  use  of  the  Chapel,  on  the  same  terms  that  the 
hall  has  been  granted  to  the  Washingtonians.  I 
should  prefer  Sunday  evenings,  but  I  would  leave 
the  choice  of  the  evening  to  your  decision.  What 
I  ask  is  a  plain  "  Yes  "  or  "  No,"  as  the  subject  has 
been  too  long  before  me,  and  my  decision  too  slowly 
made,  for  it  to  be  influenced  by  any  argument  against 
the  necessity  of  such  a  course  if  we  would  be  true  to 
the  children  committed  to  our  charge.  I  am  well 
aware  that  expediency  will  say  "  Nay,"  but  you 
must  know  me  well  enough  to  be  assured  that  I  care 
not  one  iota  for  expediency  when  it  stands  in  the 
way  of  duty,  as  I  believe  it  does  now. 
Truly  your  friend, 

H.  I.  B. 

I  sent  this  letter  and  it  was  read  about  a  week 
since  to  the  association.  On  the  next  morning  the 
treasurer,  John  L.  Emmons,  called  and  good- 
humoredly  told  me  that  there  was  really  more  anti- 
slavery  in  the  association  than  he  had  thought; 


122  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

that  the  members  would  be  perfectly  willing  to  let 
me  talk  every  evening  in  the  week  if  I  wished  to  do 
so,  but  they  were  unwilling  to  have  others  do  the 
same.  "  Some  of  our  friends/'  said  he,  "  are  quite 

rabid    upon    this    subject.      F ,   for    instance, 

would  demand  his  $300  if  we  had  such  a  course." 
I  was  really  thunderstruck  to  think  that  my  letter 
had  proved  how  completely  we  were  governed  by 
men  who  had  no  claim  to  a  reputation  of  even  decent 
morals.  "  Better  burn  the  building,"  I  said,  "  than 
to  have  it,  as  at  present,  under  the  surveillance  of 
such  beings."  I  told  him  my  hold  upon  the  insti 
tution  was  weaker,  as  of  course  he  must  perceive. 

I  considered  this  as  a  refusal,  but  in  a  few  days 
I  was  called  upon  by  the  secretary  to  know  what 
evening  would  be  agreeable  to  me.  I  chose  Mon 
day,  October  17  (last  evening),  and  at  seven  and  a 
half  P.  M.  I  was  at  the  Chapel.  I  was  requested  to 
"explain"  my  letter.  I  told  the  members  present 
that  I  had  supposed  it  was  plain  and  concise  enough ; 
nevertheless,  if  they  wished  me  orally  to  explain  my 
views,  I  was  willing  to  do  so.  I  then  recapitulated 
my  state  of  feeling  for  four  or  six  months  past,  and 
why  I  felt  called  upon  to  make  the  proposal  to  them. 
Mr.  Barnard  answered  that  if  the  association  did 
not  see  fit  to  grant  the  hall,  it  would  be  from  a  sense 
of  duty,  and  not  from  any  ill-will  to  me ;  that  he 
had  conversed  with  many  of  the  sincere  patrons  of 
the  institution,  and  they  all  thought  it  would  be 
improper  to  have  such  a  course :  that  it  would  be 
deviating  from  our  plan  of  a  general  religious,  intel- 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    123 

lectual,  and  moral  education,  so  that  the  young,  when 
they  grew  old,  might  choose  their  creeds ;  that  to 
make  the  children  Abolitionists  would  be  dealing 
unfairly  with  the  parents,  who  had  no  idea  of  their 
becoming  Abolitionists ;  that  surely  he  thought  he 
had  preached  the  doctrine  of  Human  Brotherhood 
so  much  that  he  was  almost  ashamed,  and  he 
thought  that  would  make  Abolitionists ;  that  he  had 
voted  to  allow  me  the  use  of  the  Chapel  on  August 
1st  to  see  how  far  I  would  go ;  that  he  was  satis 
fied  I  had,  on  that  evening,  gone  too  far.  I  had 
spoken  of  Henry  Clay  in  terms  of  disrespect ;  I  had 
been  too  sectarian,  and,  as  one  connected  with  the 
building,  he  could  not  consent  to  such  meetings.  .  .  . 
I  said  that  the  doctrine  of  human  brotherhood 
might  be  preached  forever,  and  yet  it  was  all  non 
sense,  for  people  have  no  idea  of  human  brother 
hood.  Our  national  flags  were  proofs  of  this.  I 

o  1 

forgot  to  present  two  arguments  ad  hominem  upon 
this  point,  which  would  have  proved  the  amount  of 
good  accomplished  by  eight  years'  preaching  of  the 
doctrine  of  human  brotherhood.  Some  six  years 
ago,  a  little  colored  girl  came  to  the  Chapel  and  sat 
wherever  she  liked.  I  was  delighted,  but  some  of 
the  teachers  were  not,  and  one  came  to  me  and 
asked  me  to  place  the  girl  in  a  special  seat ;  in  other 
words,  to  establish  a  negro  pew.  I  told  her  when 
that  was  established  I  should  leave  the  Chapel.  I 
heard  no  more  on  the  subject.  Another  incident 
of  more  recent  occurrence  was  as  follows :  A  Bible 
class,  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Barnard,  was  to  be 


124  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

established  among  the  older  girls.  A  new  colored 
girl  wanted  to  join,  and  some  of  the  white  girls  de 
clared  they  would  not  join  the  class  if  the  negro  was 
admitted  to  it.  The  human  brotherhood  doctrine 
had  fallen  in  vain,  though  often  preached  upon  the 
ears  of  these  girls.  But  what  decided  me  to  leave 
the  institution,  entirely  and  forever,  unless  a  dif 
ferent  regime  arise  there  (which  is  scarcely  to  be 
anticipated),  was  Mr.  Barnard's  remarks  upon  my 
address  on  the  eve  of  August  1.  By  these  remarks 
he  condemned  almost  every  address  that  I  have 
made  to  the  children  for  the  past  year,  for  I  have 
constantly  lugged  in  anti-slavery,  as  he  had  the 
human  brotherhood,  but  I  never  was  ashamed  of 
talking  on  that  theme.  "  Well,"  thought  I,  "  the 
die  is  cast,  and  I  am  an  outcast  from  this  institu 
tion.  I  joined  it  earnestly,  and  for  free  expression 
of  my  thoughts,  but  now  it  appears  I  must  close  my 
mouth  and  truckle  to  a  pro-slavery  institution." 
"  Die  first,"  said  my  monitor  within.  "  Tear  your 
self  away,  if  you  rend  your  soul  more  terribly  than 
you  ever  yet  have  done." 

Mr.  Whiting  and  Mr.  Welch  both  went  decidedly 
against  me.  Mr.  Emmons  I  saw  was  preparing  to 
the  same  purpose.  I  stopped  him  by  saying,  "  My 
friends,  I  feel  that  the  time  has  come  when  we  must 
part.  I  could  weep  at  the  thought;  nevertheless, 
something  within  tells  me  I  must,  and  from  love  to 
man  I  trust  I  never  shall  be  faithless  to  my  con 
science.  I  have  labored  with  you  many  years  har 
moniously,  zealously,  and  manfully.  I  must  cease  to 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    125 

do  so.  I  have  always  spoken  the  dictates  of  my 
heart ;  perhaps  at  times  have  given  offense  to  some. 
Yet  I  trust  that  we  part  now  in  friendship,  and  as  I 
always  have  greeted  most  cordially  'those  who  have 
left  us  from  a  sense  of  duty,  I  trust  that  you  also 
will  greet  me  in  our  future  paths  of  life,  whether  in 
public  or  private,  with  the  same  cordiality  as  be 
fore.  I  doubt  not  you  will  do  some  good,  but  my 
course  hereafter  must  be  in  another  sphere."  With 
these  remarks  I  arose  and  left  the  room.  I  hurried 
out,  beyond  measure  saddened.  The  sun  of  my  ex 
istence  at  that  institution  had  been  so  long  bright 
and  beautiful  that  I  could  not  bear  to  think  it  had 
now  fully  sunk.  I  went  into  the  open  air.  The 
sweet  air,  the  silvery  light  of  the  moon,  the  sense 
of  entire  loneliness,  made  me  cast  my  thoughts  on 
God,  and  I  became  cheerful ;  nay,  I  seemed  to  re 
joice.  I  had  acted  from  a  lofty  sense  of  right.  I  felt 
bold  and  free.  The  sun  arose  again  as  I  paced  the 
streets  leading  to  my  beloved  home,  and  it  shone 
brightly  on  another  day  of  my  existence.  What  this 
bright,  clear  morning  will  bring  for  me,  the  Al 
mighty  alone  knows.  I  stand  alone,  unshackled  by 
the  priestly  fetter ;  I  have  suffered  somewhat,  and 
feel  that  I  have  a  right  in  some  measure  to  claim 
the  sacred  name  of  Abolitionist.  God  grant  that  in 
my  future  course  I  may  be  true  always  to  the  sig 
nification  of  this  word. 

Several  months  after  my  father's  resignation  from  the 
Chapel,  he  received  a  very  kind  letter  from  the  directors, 
inviting  him  to  be  present  at  the  Annual  Floral  Proces- 


126  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

sion,  in  which  he  had  previously  taken  a  most  active  part, 
on  the  Fourth  of  July.  To  this  invitation  he  sent  the 
following  reply :  — 

June,  1843. 

MY  DEAR  FRIENDS, —  I  have  received  your  kind 
letter  of  invitation  to  join  with  you  in  your  floral 
procession,  and  you  do  me  justice  when  you  say 
that  you  believe  that  I  still  feel  interested  in  the 
Chapel.  My  heart  has  frequently  yearned  to  be  as 
one  of  you  in  your  exertions  to  meet  the  approach 
ing  Fourth  of  July.  I  have  always  regarded  the 
floral  procession  as  not  merely  one  of  the  most  beau 
tiful,  but  most  useful  of  the  proceedings  connected 
with  the  Chapel.  Its  influence  extended  far  and 
wide  last  year,  and  this  year  it  will  go  still  farther. 
Crowds  of  people  from  the  country  visit  our  city  for 
the  sole  purpose  of  viewing  the  beautiful  union  of 
children  and  flowers,  and  as  they  view  [them]  their 
hearts  are  moved,  and  good  feeling  is  the  result,  at 
least  for  a  short  time.  It  serves  to  hallow  in  some 
measure  a  day  that  in  my  opinion  is  unsanctified, 
inasmuch  as  we  have  been  unfaithful  to  our  princi 
ples  of  freedom.  You  perceive  by  these  remarks  in 
some  measure  my  feelings,  and  how  gladly  I  would 
assist,  could  I  conscientiously  do  so ;  but  at  present, 
as  you  know,  I  am  unable  to  join  with  you  in  your 
every-day  life  in  the  Chapel,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
I  have  been  told  I  must  not  speak  in  the  institution, 
as  I  have  spoken,  for  the  slave.  I  allude  to  this  in 
no  unfriendly  spirit.  God  forbid  it !  I  believe  that 
you  who  differ  from  me  are  as  conscientious  in  this 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    127 

matter  before  high  heaven  as  myself.  You  believe 
my  ideas  to  be  untrue ;  viz.,  that  we  must  let  the 
children  know  the  sins  of  a  nation,  if  we  would  be 
true  to  the  principles  of  the  Chapel,  which,  as  I 
understand  them,  teaches  us  to  speak  out  boldly  and 
without  hypocrisy  everything  concerning  the  tem 
poral  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  children  connected 
with  it.  You  feel  that  you  must  deal  in  generalities 
and  not  attack  particulars,  even  an  arch  enemy  which 
is  stalking  in  the  very  midst  of  us,  and  which  by 
prejudice  arrays  one  set  of  men  against  another  in 
consequence  of  color.  I  have  left  the  Chapel  be 
cause  I  could  not  fight  against  that  prejudice,  and 
slavery,  its  fiendish  mother.  Now,  my  friends,  I 
cannot  see  howl  can  either  publicly  or  privately  join 
with  you  to  help  that  prejudice  and  that  infernal 
slavery.  Nevertheless,  regarding,  as  I  do,  the  floral 
procession  as  a  ceremony  truly  religious  in  its  ten 
dencies  and,  if  properly  conducted  on  the  Fourth  of 
July,  capable  of  doing  much  service  in  this  very 
cause  to  which  I  allude,  I  should  be  delighted  to 
join  in  it  if  one  suggestion  that  I  will  make  shall  be 
carried  effectually  into  operation. 

I  presume  you  have  done  this  year  what  was  done 
the  past  year;  viz.,  you  have  requested  the  Sun 
day-schools  of  the  country  and  city  to  send  dele 
gates  to  join  with  you  in  the  procession.  Give  the 
same  invitation  to  the  Sunday-schools  for  colored 
children,  and  do  it  cordially,  so  that  the  unhappy 
outcasts  may  feel  that  you  really  regard  as  a  practi 
cal  truth  the  doctrine  that  all  men  are  brothers,  and 


128  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

born  free  and  equal,  and  that  they  may  be  induced 
thereby  to  send  some  delegates.  Do  this,  and  I  will 
join  you  with  my  whole  heart,  and  will  work,  so  far 
as  is  possible,  day  and  night  for  you  in  your  en 
deavor  to  make  the  celebration  as  beautiful  and  as 
useful  as  possible. 

I  beg  of  you  to  understand  that  I  do  not  wish 
to  suggest  anything  impertinent,  nor  shall  I  feel  a 
whit  less  friendly  with  any  of  you  personally  should 
you  consider  that  the  plan  cannot  be  followed.  If  I 
know  my  own  heart,  I  have  really  loved  every  one 
connected  with  the  Chapel  more  since  I  left  than  I 
did  before,  because  I  have  been  relieved  of  many 
trials  we  inevitably  meet  in  conducting  any  institu 
tion,  and  I  have  looked  upon  you  as  men  and  women 
heartily  devoted  to  what  you  deem  a  holy  and  a  just 
cause.  I  shall  therefore  be  merely  grieved  that  you 
do  not  see  as  I  see,  —  that  were  you  to  introduce 
the  plan  I  suggest,  it  would  be  a  proud  day  for  the 
Chapel ;  but  I  should  have  no  personal  unkind  feel 
ing.  Decide,  therefore,  as  you  would  if  one  wholly 
indifferent  to  you  had  suggested  it,  and  looking  to 
that  Being  before  whom  I  am  sure  all  men  are  as 
children.  Place  yourselves  under  the  banner  for 
which  the  blood  of  the  colored  man  has  flowed,  of 
that  country  whose  jubilee  of  false  freedom  you 
meet  in  some  degree  to  celebrate.  Look  steadily  at 
the  first  words  that  that  country  uttered  when,  by 
its  constitution  (Revolution),  it  stood  Minerva-like, 
boldly  erect  at  once  before  its  peers,  the  nations  of 
the  earth  ;  listen  to  the  groans  of  two  million  five 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    129 

hundred  thousand  slaves  that  reach  us  from  the 
South,  and  look  at  the  cruel  prejudice  of  the  North, 
that  even  in  the  houses  of  the  Most  High  places 
the  negro  aloof  from  his  brother  Christian ;  do  all 
this,  and  then  decide.  If  you  say  "  Ay,"  I  shall  be 
rejoiced,  and  my  heart  will  swell  with  pride  at  the 
deed*  If  you  say  "Nay,"  I  shall  be  grieved  but 
not  offended.  I  shall  retire  to  the  country  on  that 
day  when  flauntingly  the  boasts  go  up  to  heaven  for 
our  freedom,  when  in  fact  we  have  our  feet  on  the 
necks  of  nearly  three  million  slaves.  I  shall  spend 
my  hours  with  the  wild,  free  flowers  of  nature,  for  I 
could  not  bear  the  thought  of  remaining  in  the  city 
while  that  beautiful  but,  as  I  should  think  it,  erring 
procession  was  going  forward. 

I  have  thus  given  you  my  inmost  thoughts.     Do 
not  think  me  unkind  or  impertinent. 
I  remain, 

Very  truly  your  friend, 

H.  I.  BOWDITCH. 

To  J.  L.  EMMONS  and  JAMES  M.  BARNARD, 
Committee,  etc. 

The  Committee  took  the  subject  into  considera 
tion,  and  although  I  informed  [them]  that  I  wanted 
only  four  of  the  prettiest  colored  children  to  be  with 
me,  and  that  I  should  come  for  the  slightest  mani 
festation  in  favor  of  truth,  still  my  friends  thought 
that  the  Chapel  would  suffer.  Accordingly  I  went 
away  to  Spot  Pond,  and  there  spent  the  day  on  the 
beautiful  pond  rowing  among  the  islands  and  along 
the  rocky  shores  by  myself.  It  was  most  beautiful, 


130  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

and  my  mind  most  tranquil,  for  I  felt  that  God 
smiled  upon  me. 


The  following  year  a  similar  invitation  was  given  and 
a  similar  reply  was  returned.  Again  he  spent  the  Fourth 
of  July  in  the  country. 

Amidst  all  the  excitement  caused  by  these  events  my 
father  devoted  himself,  however,  to  his  profession  as  his 
first  duty. 

Various  translations  of  the  works  of  his  "  beloved 
master  Louis,"  especially  those  upon  typhoid  fever  and 
phthisis,  and  many  other  monographs  upon  medical  sub 
jects  testify  to  his  industry  in  this  direction.  He  was 
destined,  however,  in  consequence  of  his  strong  convictions 
about  the  injustice  shown  to  the  negro,  to  meet  with  diffi 
culties  even  in  his  professional  work.  About  this  time 
he  was  chosen  admitting  physician  of  the  Massachusetts 
General  Hospital,  a  position  to  which  he  devoted  much 
time  and  energy  until  1841,  when  a  new  law,  made  by 
the  trustees,  excluding  colored  people  from  the  institution 
was  enacted.  This  action  was  so  entirely  opposed  to  my 
father's  sense  of  justice  that  he  tendered  his  resignation,  as 
shown  in  the  following  letter  :  — 

BOSTON,  May  28,  1841. 

GENTLEMEN,  —  A  few  months  since  a  law  was 
passed  by  your  Board  relative  to  the  admission  of 
colored  persons  into  the  Hospital.  I  was  sorry  at  the 
time,  for  I  foresaw  that  it  probably  would  lead  me  to 
the  step  which  I  now  feel  obliged  to  take.  In  my  ad 
mission  of  patients  until  that  law  was  passed,  I  (with 
your  permission)  always  regarded  the  colored  man 
or  woman  in  the  same  light  that  I  looked  upon  other 
men  and  women.  If  they  were  ill,  and  their  charac- 


CONNECTION  WITH  WARREN  STREET  CHAPEL    131 

ters  made  them  worthy  of  receiving  the  benefits  of 
the  Hospital,  I  admitted  them,  believing  that  even- 
handed  justice  required  me  to  do  so,  and  knowing, 
likewise,  that  I  did  so  with  your  consent.  Guided 
by  this  principle,  I  appeared  to  meet  your  wishes 
until  a  few  months  since,  when,  owing  to  peculiar 
circumstances  beyond  my  control,  more  applicants 
than  usual  were  made  for  this  class  of  persons.  I 
admitted  them  either  as  pay-patients  or  as  the  occu 
pants  of  proprietors'  free  beds,  and  at  the  request 
of  such  proprietors  or  of  their  agents.  Complaints 
were  made  to  you,  but  (by  the  advice  of  the  Visiting 
Committee,  and  afterwards  at  the  full  meeting  of  the 
Board)  you  sustained  your  previous  rules.  In  a  few 
days  other  complaints  arose,  and  the  law  of  admission 
alluded  to  in  the  first  part  of  this  letter  was  enacted. 

I  regret  very  much  indeed  to  be  obliged  to  sepa 
rate  from  any  who  have  been  so  uniformly  kind  to 
me,  as  you  all  (individually  and  collectively)  have 
been,  and  from  an  institution  in  which  I  have  ever 
had  the  strongest  feelings  of  pride,  and  for  whose 
welfare  I  shall  never  cease  to  labor;  but  I  must 
leave,  for,  under  the  action  of  that  rule,  I  have  been 
the  means  this  day  of  excluding  a  poor  girl  from  that 
charity,  which,  as  it  seems  to  me,  belongs  as  much 
to  her  as  to  any  other  person,  especially  as  she  came 
recommended  to  me  by  one  long  connected  with  the 
Hospital. 

I  cannot,  you  will  readily  see,  consent  to  do  this 
again,  or  to  remain  longer  in  a  situation  where  I  may 
be  obliged  to  violate  thus  my  views  of  justice. 


132  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

I  therefore  would  respectfully  resign  my  office  of 
admitting  physician  of  the  Hospital.  I  will  continue, 
of  course,  to  exercise  the  duties  of  the  place  until  a 
successor  is  chosen. 

Very  truly,  I  remain,  gentlemen, 
Your  friend, 

H.  I.  BOWDITCH. 

TRUSTEES  OP  THE  HOSPITAL. 

Happily  the  Trustees  reconsidered  the  matter,  and  his 
resignation  was  not  accepted.  Later,  in  1846,  he  was 
made  visiting  physician  to  the  Hospital,  which  position  he 
retained  until  1863,  when  owing  to  pressure  of  other  duties 
he  resigned.  He  was  then  made  consulting  physician, 
and  remained  upon  the  Board  until  his  death. 

In  December,  1839,  my  father's  eldest  son,  Nathaniel, 
was  horn  in  the  house  at  8  Otis  Place.  Here  the  family 
continued  to  reside  until  1841,  when  they  moved  to  a  small 
house  at  17  Bedford  Street,  now  occupied  by  a  portion  of 
K.  H.  White  Co.'s  establishment.  It  was  during  his  stay 
in  this  house  that  the  famous  Latimer  case  occurred,  the 
first  event  in  the  history  of  the  runaway  slave  in  Massa 
chusetts.  It  threw  the  community  into  a  fever  of  excite 
ment,  and  my  father  gave  himself  heart  and  soul  to  the 
cause.  To  comprehend  the  full  extent  of  his  work,  how 
ever,  it  will  be  necessary  to  devote  a  special  chapter  to  the 
subject. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    LATIMER   CASE 
1842 

ON  the  21st  of  October,  1842,  George  Latiiner,  a  very 
light  mulatto  and  runaway  slave  from  Virginia,  was  seized 
in  the  street  without  any  legal  process  by  one  Gray,  the 
former  owner  of  the  slave.  He  was  taken  to  the  Leverett 
Street  Jail,  and  imprisoned  at  the  request  of  Gray,  the 
jailor  being  instructed  to  hold  the  man  until  further 
orders. 

Great  excitement  followed,  and  after  various  threats  of 
violent  action  on  the  part  of  many  who  wished  to  free 
Latimer,  the  slave  was  bought  by  the  Kev.  N.  Colver  and 
immediately  given  his  freedom. 

To  quote  my  father's  own  words :  "  When  the  news 
came,  very  great  excitement  arose  pro  and  con  in  some  of 
the  community.  Popular  opinion  seemed  wholly  to  sup 
port  the  slave  traders.  Offers  were  made  by  some  to  free 
Latimer  by  payments,  others  wanted  more  violent  means 
if  necessary  and  feasible.  Amid  the  ferment,  which  caused 
some  of  us  great  distress,  as  we  saw  no  means  of  escape  for 
Latimer  and  felt  the  degradation  of  the  State,  the  '  Lati 
mer  Journal'  was  suggested.  It  was  first  proposed  by 
William  F.  Channing,  son  of  William  Ellery  Channing. 
I  seized  upon  the  plan,  and  forthwith  it  was  commenced. 
The  first  number  appeared  November  11, 1842.  Its  motto 
was  John  Pierpont's  stirring  words  addressed  by  the  Fugi 
tive  Slave  to  the  North  Star :  — 

« Star  of  the  North,  I  look  to  thee, 
While  on  I  press,  for  well  I  know 
Thy  light  and  truth  shall  set  me  free.' " 


134  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

The  three  editors  of  the  "  Latimer  Journal  and  North 
Star  "  were  William  F.  Channing,  Frederick  S.  Cabot,  and 
my  father,  all  of  whom  formed  the  so-called  "  Latimer 
Committee,"  upon  whose  shoulders  fell  the  chief  burden 
of  collecting  thousands  of  names  for  the  monster  petitions 
to  Congress  and  the  Massachusetts  legislature. 

Meetings  were  held  in  Marlboro'  Chapel  in  Washington 
Street,  and  the  headquarters  of  the  Committee,  in  Amory 
Hall,  at  the  corner  of  Washington  and  West  streets,  were 
kept  open  day  and  night  to  secure  signatures  and  to  give 
information. 

The  Journal  was  published  in  tri-weekly  editions,  and 
thousands  of  copies  were  sent  broadcast,  in  order  to  arouse 
the  people  of  Massachusetts  to  a  sense  of  what  a  high 
handed  act  of  injustice  had  just  been  perpetrated  by  the 
slaveholder  on  the  free  soil  of  the  old  Bay  State. 

On  May  10, 1843,  the  final  number  appeared,  containing 
an  account  of  the  meeting  at  Faneuil  Hall,  held  in  Febru 
ary,  1843,  at  which  Charles  Francis  Adams  accepted  the 
duty  of  advocating  the  great  petition  before  the  Massachu 
setts  legislature.  It  also  gave  an  account  of  the  carrying 
of  the  petition  to  the  legislative  hall  (State  House),  borne 
upon  the  shoulders  of  six  delegates,  one  of  whom  was  my 
father. 

Previous  to  this  meeting,  Mr.  Adams  had  written  the 
following  letter  to  the  Committee :  — 

GENTLEMEN,  —  Since  I  saw  you  last  evening,  I  have 
been  reflecting  a  little  more  maturely  upon  the  subject  we 
talked  of.  I  have  not  had  opportunity  to  consult  with  any 
one  in  or  out  of  the  legislature,  but  I  feel  myself  bound, 
nevertheless,  in  this  as  in  all  other  particulars,  to  state  my 
own  feeling  with  frankness. 

I  feel  very  reluctant  to  appear  in  such  a  merely  formal 
affair  as  this  of  presenting  the  petition  at  Faneuil  Hall. 


THE  LATIMER  CASE  135 

That  it  takes  place  at  a  time  when  my  duty  calls  me  to 
,the  House,  from  which  I  have  never  absented  myself  an 
hour  since  I  have  had  a  seat  there,  is  not  in  my  mind  a  very 
weighty  objection.  But  I  do  think  my  going  down  there, 
one  of  the  three  hundred  and  fifty-one  members,  to  be 
pointed  out  as  the  most  suitable  person  to  receive  the  pe 
tition,  for  merits  which  are  none  of  mine  but  descend  to 
me,  if  at  all,  by  accident  of  name  and  birth,  would  have 
an  extremely  invidious  character,  and  would  put  me  in  a 
situation  highly  unfavorable  to  myself,  as  well  as  to  my 
future  efforts  in  support  of  the  petitioners.  I  have  a  gen 
eral  repugnance  to  a  purely  voluntary  exhibition  of  myself 
in  any  pageant,  but  most  particularly  where  I  know  not 
what  to  say  or  do  which  would  not  make  me  appear  pre 
sumptuous  or  vain. 

Let  me  then  beg  of  you  to  modify  your  plan  so  far  as  I 
may  be  concerned.     Let  me  retain  the  honor  of  presenting 
your  petition,  if  you  shall  not  consider  me  unworthy  of  it, 
and  also  the  privilege  of  doing  what  my  humble  abilities 
may  compass  in  favor  of  the  great  principles  of  human 
liberty ;  but  excuse  me  from  a  position  which  I  see  that  I 
cannot  fill  either  gracefully  or  with  propriety. 
I  am,  very  respectfully,  gentlemen, 
Your  servant, 

CHARLES  FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

Monday,  January  30,  1843. 

The  petition  to  Congress,  containing  51,862  names  from 
Massachusetts,  was  placed  upon  John  Quincy  Adams's 
table  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington,  and  excited  great  in 
dignation.  The  immense  roll  of  paper  was  about  the  size 
of  an  ordinary  barrel. 

The  first  signature  was  that  of  George  Latimer,  as  a 
citizen  of  Massachusetts.  The  "  Old  Man  Eloquent " 
bravely  and  calmly  met  the  storm  of  words,  and  "  his  sharp 


136  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

wit  recoiled  upon  his  Southern  assailants."  Naturally, 
however,  at  that  time  little  was  accomplished  in  Congress, 
other  than  to  impress  the  country  with  the  intensity  of  the 
anti-slavery  feeling  in  Massachusetts. 

My  father  worked  day  and  night  with  unflagging  zeal 
for  the  cause,  even  going  so  far  as  to  dispose  of  some  of 
his  slender  capital  in  order  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the 
undertaking.  Later  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that,  in  consequence  of  the  efforts  of  the  Latimer  Com 
mittee,  a  bill  presented  to  the  Massachusetts  legislature 
forbidding  the  use  of  the  state  and  town  jails  for  the  re 
tention  of  runaway  slaves,  was  finally  passed  and  became 
a  law. 

The  tremendous  hold  which  this  event  took  upon  him 
may  be  realized  from  the  following,  written  many  years 
after  as  an  appendix  to  some  notes  on  the  Latimer 
case :  — 

In  closing,  I  presume  forever,  all  I  shall  ever 
write  upon  this  trial,  I  will  write  also  here  what  I 
have  never  lisped  to  any  one  before ;  viz.,  that  the 
excitement  I  was  under  was  so  great  at  the  earlier 
part  of  the  proceedings,  that  it  seemed  to  me  at  times 
my  mind  would  be  perfectly  unbalanced  if  the  ex 
citement  continued.  From  tbe  first  moment  that  I 
became  one  of  the  editors  of  that  paper,  complete 
calmness  and  peace  came  over  me.  I  seemed  trans 
formed,  regenerated,  as  our  Orthodox  friends  would 
style  it,  and  I  never  lost  heart  afterwards.  It  was  a 
curious  psychological  phenomenon  never  to  be  forgot 
ten  by  me.  Work  saved  me  perhaps  from  insanity. 
So  then  I  thought,  so  I  still  believe.  ...  In  looking 
back  upon  my  connection  with  the  Journal,  which 


THE  LATIMER  CASE  137 

brought  much  obloquy  upon  all  of  us,  I  regard 
every  hour  thus  occupied  as  among  the  most  inter 
esting  and  most  valuable  of  my  life  to  me  as  an  in 
dividual.  It  was  a  grand  moral  tonic  which  even 
now,  after  the  lapse  of  thirty-seven  years,  yet  tingles 
in  my  veins.  God  bless  the  hour  [in  which],  under 
the  great  leadership  of  Garrison,  I  became  an  Aboli 
tionist. 

It  was  during  this  episode  that  my  father  gave  an 
instance  of  his  pluck  and  determination  to  espouse  the 
cause  of  anti-slavery  by  walking  arm  in  arm  with  Fred 
erick  Douglass,  at  that  time  a  runaway  slave,  through  the 
Boston  streets.  It  is  hard  to  realize  at  this  day  what  such 
an  action  meant ;  and  as  a  proof  of  the  disapproval,  to  say 
the  least,  which  my  father's  course  subjected  him,  the 
following  extract  is  given  from  the  "  Thirty  Years'  War 
of  Anti- Slavery." 1 

I  have  only  to  mention  a  few  facts  connected 
with  myself.  Only  a  few  days  before  one  of  our 
meetings,  a  young  lady  had  hoped  that  I  "  would 
never  become  an  Abolitionist,"  and  about  the  same 
time  Frederick  Douglass  appeared  as  a  runaway 
slave.  He  was  at  the  meeting  in  Marlboro'  Chapel. 
Of  course  I  was  introduced  to  him,  and,  as  I  would 
have  invited  a  white  friend,  I  asked  him  home  to 
dine  with  me  in  my  small  abode  in  Bedford  Street. 
It  is  useless  to  deny  that  I  did  not  like  the  thought 
of  walking  with  him  in  open  midday  up  Wash 
ington  Street.  I  hoped  I  would  not  meet  any  of 
my  acquaintances.  I  had,  however,  hardly  turned 
into  the  street  before  I  met  the  young  lady  who  had 

1  Volume  x.,  chapter  ii. 


138  HENKY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

expressed  her  wish  as  above  stated.  I  am  glad  now 
to  say  that  I  did  not  skulk.  I  looked  at  her  straight 
and  bowed  in  "  my  most  gracious  manner/'  as  if  I 
were  "  all  right/'  while  I  saw  by  her  look  of  regret 
that  she  thought  me  "  all  wrong."  It  was,  however, 
somewhat  like  a  cold  sponge  bath,  —  that  Washing 
ton  Street  walk  by  the  side  of  a  black  man,  —  rather 
terrible  at  the  outset,  but  wonderfully  warming  and 
refreshing  afterwards  !  I  had  literally  jumped  "  in 
medias  res."  But  I  did  not  hear  until  years  after 
wards,  and  a  long  time  after  Douglass  had  held 
office  in  Washington  under  the  Federal  Government, 
and  the  slavery  of  his  own  race  had  been  washed  out 
in  blood,  what  I  was  doing  for  him  at  the  moment 
when  as  a  friend  I  asked  him  to  walk  home  with  me 
to  dinner.1  How  little  do  we  appreciate  acts  that 
seem  trivial  or  something  worse  to  us,  but  which  to 
others,  affected  by  such  acts,  are  of  inexpressible 
importance  !  Beautiful  to  me  seems  now  the  act, 
inasmuch  as  it  helped  to  raise  a  poor  down-trodden 
soul  into  a  proper  self -appreciation.  And  how  much 
I  thank  God  that  He  led  me  by  giving  me  a  love  of 
freedom,  and  something  like  a  conscience  to  act  as  I 
did  then  ! 

As  an  invaluable  relic  of  those  stirring  times,  my  father 
left  a  large  "  scrapbook  "  filled  with  copies  of  the  u  Lati- 
mer  Journal ; "  newspaper  clippings  from  all  parts  of  the 

1  Many  years  after,  when  an  assemblage  of  anti-slavery  veterans 
and  hosts  of  young  colored  men  were  honoring  Frederick  Douglass 
in  a  public  hall  in  Boston,  he  alluded  to  this  incident  with  the  re 
mark,  "  Dr.  Bowditch  I  greet  joyfully  here,  for  he  first  treated  me 
as  if  I  were  a  man." 


THE  LATIMER  CASE  139 

country  bearing  upon  the  "  Latimer  Case ; "  specimens  of 
the  various  large  posters  used;  calls  for  meetings,  etc., 
all  carefully  preserved  by  him  as  interesting  historical 
records.  On  the  fly-leaves  in  front  are  written  the  follow 
ing  words :  — 

Thank  God!  The  great  petition  settled  the 
business  effectually,  and  Massachusetts  and  New 
England  generally  rose  nobly  to  the  ideas  of  our 
fathers  when  they  believed  in  Liberty.  If  I  re 
member  aright,  the  petitions,  as  they  came,  were 
pasted  together  at  my  house  in  Bedford  Street,  and 
huge  masses  they  were,  rolled  up  in  their  frame 
work  of  wood.  It  was  one  of  the  eras  of  my  life.  I 
persuaded  everybody  I  could  to  sign.  I  induced 
Whittier  to  let  me  have  a  stirring  appeal  to  read  to 
the  county  meeting  at  Ipswich,  and  "  Massachusetts 
to  Virginia  "  was  first  read  aloud  by  me  at  that 
meeting.  Fool  that  I  was  !  I  gave  the  manuscript 
to  a  reporter  who  asked  me  for  it.  Unfortunately, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  I  was  a  worker  rather  than 
an  editor,  the  poem  did  not  appear,  as  it  should  have, 
in  the  "  Latimer  Journal."  * 

The  burning  enthusiasm  of  the  brave  Quaker  poet  was 
a  constant  spur  to  my  father,  and  doubtless  added  greatly 
to  his  zeal  in  the  Latimer  case. 

The  following  letter  from  Whittier  was  written  in  an 
swer  to  one  from  my  father  acknowledging  the  receipt  of 
the  poem :  — 

1  The  stirring  poem  beginning 

"  The  blast  from  Freedom's  Northern  hills  upon  its  Southern  way, 
Bears  greetings  to  Virginia  from  Massachusetts  Bay,  etc.  ! " 


140  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

AMESBURY,  14th  Day,  llth  Month,  1842. 

DEAR  DOCTOR,  —  Thy  letter  of  llth  instant  has  been 
received.  From  my  heart  I  thank  thee  for  thy  kind  and 
flattering  notice  of  my  anti-slavery  rhyme.  As  to  thy 
particular  request,  I  feel  too  deeply  on  the  subject  to 
attempt  it  in  the  present  state  of  my  health.  Protracted 
illness  has  shattered  my  nervous  system,  and  I  cannot 
bear  any  strong  emotion.  Any  intellectual  effort  in  which 
the  heart  participates  is  attended  with  pain  and  with  dis 
tressing  and  suffocating  sensations  in  breast,  throat, 
and  head.  I  must,  therefore,  crush  down  my  feelings  and 
remain  silent.  I  rejoice  to  hear  of  your  great  meeting  in 
Faneuil  Hall.  May  the  God  of  the  poor  and  oppressed 
guide,  direct,  and  strengthen  you  in  your  efforts  for  Lati- 
mer's  deliverance !  If  I  can  in  any  way  aid  you,  I  will 
joyfully  do  so. 

Where  is  Pierpont's  pen  of  fire  ?     He  is  the  man  to 
make  upon  this  theme  the  "  very  stones  rise  in  mutiny." 
His  address  on  the  death  of  Dr.  Channing  is  one  of  the 
noblest  things  I  have  ever  read. 
Thine  very  truly, 

JOHN  G.  WHITTIER. 

P.  S.  There  is  but  one  feeling  here  with  regard  to 
Latimer,  —  that  he  must  not  be  given  up.  Were  I  in 
Judge  S.'s  place,  I  would  at  once  resign  my  place  rather 
than  send  him  back  to  bondage.  By  so  doing  he  would 
win  immortal  honor.  Oh  that  he  had  the  moral  courage 
to  meet  this  crisis  as  becomes  a  republican  and  Christian. 
He  has  now  a  glorious  opportunity  to  send  down  his  name 
to  all  coming  time  as  an  inflexible  adherent  to  God's  law 
and  everlasting  justice. 

The  Latimer  scrapbook  is  unique,  and  its  value  his 
torically  increases  with  each  year.  It  will  ever  remain  as 
a  proof  of  the  indomitable  zeal  of  the  three  men,  William 


THE  LATIMER  CASE  141 

F.  Charming,  Frederick  S.  Cabot,  and  my  father,  to  whose 
united  efforts  doubtless  were  due  the  initial  steps  which 
led  to  the  final  passage  of  the  law  in  the  Massachusetts 
legislature  forbidding  the  use  of  our  state  and  town  jails 
for  the  detention  of  runaway  slaves. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
DR.  THAYER'S  REMINISCENCES  — 

LETTERS   AND    EXTRACTS   FROM   HIS   JOURNAL 
1843-1845 

THE  following  reminiscences  by  a  dear  and  valued  friend, 
Dr.  William  Henry  Thayer,  were  made  in  response  to  a 
request  that  he  should  give  some  account  of  his  early 
friendship  with  my  father  and  mother.  Much  that  he 
wrote  gives  such  charming  impressions  of  the  life  of  that 
period,  that  I  have  quoted  from  them  freely. 

"  At  the  time  I  entered  the  Medical  School,  Dr.  Bow- 
ditch  was  admitting  physician  of  the  Massachusetts  Gen 
eral  Hospital,  and  spent  an  hour  there  every  morning 
examining  applicants.  It  was  also  the  duty  of  the  admit 
ting  physician  to  make  autopsies  of  all  patients  who  died 
in  the  Hospital.  His  students  had  the  advantage  of  these 
examinations,  and  learned  morbid  anatomy  thoroughly. 
His  custom  was  to  devote  the  entire  forenoon  to  a  post 
mortem  examination,  in  which  we  assisted ;  and  the  house 
physician  took  notes  from  his  dictation,  for  permanent 
record. 

"  About  that  time  an  epizootic  influenza  prevailed  in 
Boston,  which  attacked  nearly  all  the  horses  in  the  city. 
The  doctor  proposed  to  his  students  to  make  a  thorough 
investigation  of  the  disease.  Dividing  the  city  into  dis 
tricts,  he  arranged  to  have  each  one  of  us  visit  all  the 
stables  in  his  allotted  district,  take  notes  on  the  case  in  a 


DR.   THAYER'S  REMINISCENCES  143 

systematic  way,  and  bring  him  a  full  report,  to  be  digested. 
He  undertook  to  make  post-mortem  examinations  of  the 
horses  that  died,  as  far  as  possible,  —  which  was  done  un 
der  all  sorts  of  difficulties.  We  found  pleuro-pneumonia 
in  every  case. 

"  Dr.  Bowditch's  study  in  Paris,  chiefly  under  Louis, 
had  made  him  proficient  in  auscultation,  then  a  recent 
invention  of  Laennec's,  for  the  investigation  of  chest 
diseases ;  and  in  the  Medical  School  he  gave  thorough 
instruction  in  this  method,  and  gave  his  students  every 
opportunity  to  practice  it.  Besides  the  Infirmary  patients, 
we  had  the  inmates  of  the  Chelsea  Marine  Hospital  for 
subjects  for  examination  ;  as  Dr.  Charles  H.  Stedman,  one 
of  the  instructors  of  the  School,  was  physician  and  super 
intendent  of  the  Hospital.  Dr.  Bowditch  also  made  the 
autopsies  in  this  hospital,  of  which  we  had  the  benefit. 
His  practice  in  auscultation  led  him  to  become  recognized 
as  high  authority  in  diseases  of  the  chest  all  over  New 
England,  and  eventually  gave  him  consultations  in  these 
cases  in  many  places  outside  of  Boston.  Henry  I.  Bow- 
ditch,  John  L.  Emmons,  and  Ezra  "Weston,  Jr.,  were  as 
sistants  of  Kev.  Charles  F.  Barnard  in  the  Sunday-school 
and  mission  work  of  the  Warren  Street  Chapel.  In  those 
early  days  the  children  of  Mr.  Barnard's  parish  had  a 
floral  show  and  sale  every  Fourth  of  July  for  the  Chapel. 
Flowers  were  contributed  abundantly  by  friends  in  the 
suburbs  of  Boston,  and  on  the  morning  of  Independence 
Day  the  children  formed  in  procession  carrying  flowers  to 
the  Common,  where  they  held  a  sale.  The  procession  was 
led  by  Dr.  Bowditch  on  horseback.  In  those  days  he  made 
his  professional  calls  on  his  horse.  There  was  one  other 
Boston  physician  at  that  time  who  made  his  visits  on 
horseback,  —  Dr.  Enoch  Hale,  a  man  of  an  older  genera 
tion.  About  the  time  I  first  knew  Dr.  Bowditch  he  was 
working  industriously  with  a  microscope  in  addition  to  his 


144  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

other  studies.  Microscopes  had  not  come  into  use  with 
pathologists  at  that  time  to  any  great  extent.  .  .  .  Dr. 
Bowditch  was  using  the  microscope  between  1840  and  1850 
as  an  amusement,  but  he  pursued  it  with  his  usual  zeal. 
He  studied  the  growth  of  the  snail  from  the  egg  to  its 
full  development,  looking  at  his  specimen  every  hour  of 
the  twenty-four,  and  making  a  pencil  drawing  of  the  object 
every  time.  To  accomplish  this  he  got  another  observer 
to  relieve  him  for  a  part  of  every  night.  An  illustration 
of  his  zeal  in  another  direction,  and  his  public  spirit,  ex 
hibited  somewhere  between  1840  and  1850,  comes  to  mind 
now.  There  was  a  strike  in  the  Fire  Department  of  Bos 
ton  —  then  a  voluntary  service  —  and  all  the  companies 
left  their  engines.  A  number  of  gentlemen  volunteered 
to  take  their  places,  among  them  the  doctor,  who  joined 
'  Despatch  No.  9,'  whose  house  was  in  Mason  Street,  near 
the  Harvard  Medical  School.  He  was  made  clerk  of  the 
company,  and  did  duty  at  fire  for  some  weeks,  until  a  new 
department  was  organized.  .  .  . 

"  My  marriage  in  1845  brought  me  into  still  more  inti 
mate  relations  with  the  Bowditches,  for  they  welcomed  my 
wife,  who  was  previously  a  resident  of  Keene,  N.  H.,  with 
great  cordiality.  No.  8  Otis  Place  became  a  dear  place  to 
us,  and  there  is  no  room  of  that  period  of  which  I  have 
a  clearer  recollection  than  the  large  parlor,  with  Stuart's 
portraits  of  Dr.  Nathaniel  Bowditch  and  his  wife,  two  ex 
quisite  pencil  portraits  by  Gambadella,  and  an  engraving 
of  Guide's  '  Aurora '  on  the  walls,  and  on  the  mantel  shelf 
a  block  of  wood  from  Pennsylvania  Hall  in  Philadelphia, 
with  an  inscription  relating  that  it  was  a  memento  of  the 
destruction  of  the  Hall  by  a  mob  excited  by  a  meeting  of 
Abolitionists  in  it,  and  a  daguerreotype  of  a  branded  hand, 
the  hand  of  a  negro  slave.1 

1  This  is  a  mistake.  It  was  a  daguerreotype  taken  in  Boston,  at 
my  father's  request,  of  the  hand  of  Jonathan  Walker,  a  white  man, 


DR.  THAYER'S  REMINISCENCES  145 

"  In  that  pleasant  house  we  passed  many  an  evening. 
Once  a  week  for  some  time  we  were  there  to  read  aloud 
some  new  book.  We  read  '  The  Fable  for  Critics  '  when 
it  came  out  in  1848  anonymously,  although  I  think  the 
authorship  was  well  guessed  at  the  time.  Both  families 
were  members  of  a  Book  Club  of  twenty  for  the  circula 
tion  of  new  books.  There  were  no  monthly  magazines  of 
any  account  at  that  time. 

"In  1846  the  Society  for  Medical  Observation  was 
formed  at  Dr.  Bowditch's  instigation  .  .  .  limited  to 
twelve  members,  who  met  bi-monthly  in  one  of  the  rooms 
of  the  Boylston  Medical  School,  for  rigid  discussion  of  a 
paper,  which  was  to  be  a  carefully  recorded  observation  by 
a  member,  each  one  read  in  turn.  The  members  included 
the  instructors  in  the  Boylston  Medical  School.  After 
some  years  the  society  was  enlarged,  and  the  exercises  of 
the  evening  no  longer  retained  their  original  character  of 
exact  observations  and  close  criticism.  Dr.  Bowditch  was 
very  earnest  in  his  attempt  to  model  this  society  on  a 
similar  one  to  which  he  had  belonged  in  Paris  under  the 
leadership  of  Louis,  and  inspired  the  members  with  a 
similar  zeal ;  but  the  criticism  of  papers  was  so  keen,  al 
though  always  courteous,  that  some  of  the  members  re 
signed  from  time  to  time. 

"  Dr.  Bowditch  was  a  man  of  positive  character.  At 
its  base  was  a  very  sensitive  conscience,  which  he  always 
obeyed,  and  its  developments  were  absolute  truth,  purity 
of  thought  and  life,  diligence,  and  kindness.  He  was  a 
constant  worker,  and  all  his  labors  were  stimulated  by 

who  was  branded  "Slave  Stealer"  in  the  South,  for  helping  slaves 
escape  to  the  North.  The  letters  «  S.  S."  were  translated  "  Slave 
Saviour  "  by  my  father.  This  deed  was  done  by  a  United  States 
marshal.  —  ED. 


146  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

enthusiasm,  which  inspired  his  pupils  and  associates  with 
kindred  zeal.  Systematic  and  methodical  in  his  studies, 
he  pursued  them  with  untiring  ardor  to  their  just  limits 
and  practical  results.  He  had  a  joyous  nature,  ready 
humor,  and  great  capacity  for  fun.  When  he  met  you 
he  burst  out  with  some  interesting  story  or  suggestion  of 
scientific  enterprise,  or  with  some  piece  of  humor  which 
he  related  with  animation ;  and  if  in  the  street,  he  started 
off  when  he  left  you  with  a  skip  and  a  jump  like  a 
young  schoolgirl,  as  if  he  had  some  urgent  business  to 
attend  to.  If  his  story  was  of  something  that  excited 
his  indignation,  it  was  related  with  explosive  utterances 
and  gestures.  Enthusiasm  pervaded  his  life,  and  if  there 
was  nothing  to  call  it  out  his  manner  was  gentle  and 
quiet.  .  .  . 

"  I  'm  telling  you  his  outward  life.  His  inner  life, 
as  revealed  more  satisfactorily  in  his  letters,  seemed  so 
much  above  our  ordinary  plane  that  what  I  can  say  does 
not  do  it  justice.  His  published  papers,  which  I  have  just 
been  reading  anew,  carry  us  upward  somewhat  nearer  the 
atmosphere  which  he  breathed.  .  .  . 

"  Olivia  Bowditch  was  well  qualified  by  nature  to  be  his 
wife.  With  tastes  similar  to  his  (on  which  agreement 
loving  companionship  is  most  happy),  her  temperament 
was  fortunately  different  from  his,  and  her  calmness  often 
served  to  restrain  his  impetuosity,  when  it  threatened  to 
go  too  fast ;  and  an  expression  of  indignation,  when  be 
coming  explosive,  she  could  moderate  by  a  laugh.  She 
was  fully  in  sympathy  with  him  in  principle,  but  always 
deliberate  and  self-controlled.  In  their  friendships  and 
interests  they  were  one. 

"  The  entire  Bowditch  family  always  celebrated  their 
Christmas  festival  at  the  old  home  in  Otis  Place  .  .  .  the 
four  brothers,  two  sisters,  and  their  children.  It  was  a 
lively  and  joyous  occasion.  At  one  of  these  times,  Olivia 


DR.  THAYER'S  REMINISCENCES  147 

Bowditch  prepared  a  gift  for  her  husband,  expressing  the 
difference  in  their  natures,  and  showing  her  own  appre 
ciation  of  it.  She  made  a  drawing  of  Pegasus  harnessed 
with  an  ox  —  intended  to  illustrate  his  aspiring  nature, 
continually  restrained  by  her  more  practical  character.  I 
begin  to  have  a  vague  recollection  that  this  illustration 
was  not  original  with  her ;  at  any  rate,  she  applied  it  to 
themselves. 

"In  thinking  of  her,  I  remember  with  pleasure  her 
charming  music,  and  her  performance  on  piano  and  harp 
—  later  on,  accompanying  the  fine  voices  of  her  sons." 

In  the  letters  written  about  this  period  to  my  mother 
and  to  a  friend,  my  father  alludes  to  the  warm  attachment 
which  had  sprung  up  between  himself  and  a  patient 
named  Daniel  Powers,  who  was  slowly  dying  of  consump 
tion  and  whose  serenity  at  the  approach  of  death  appar 
ently  made  the  deepest  impression  upon  my  father,  if  we 
may  judge  by  the  correspondence  between  the  two  men, 
and  the  thoughts  expressed  in  letters  written  at  that 
time. 

His  first  acquaintance  with  this  friend  he  sometimes 
alluded  to  in  after  years.  Returning  one  day  to  his 
office,  tired  in  mind  and  body,  he  found  a  stranger  await 
ing  him.  Impulsively  he  declared  he  was  unable  to  see 
any  one,  when  the  expression  upon  the  stranger's  face 
instantly  made  him  deeply  regret  his  hasty  words.  Beg 
ging  his  visitor  most  earnestly  to  pardon  him  for  his 
rudeness,  he  asked  him  how  he  could  be  of  assistance  to 
him,  and  from  that  moment  began  the  friendship  about 
which  he  writes. 

In  marked  contrast  to  these  more  serious  subjects,  his 
sense  of  fun  is  well  shown  in  his  description  of  an  ex 
pedition  made  by  a  large  party  of  Abolitionists  to 
Hingham. 


148  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

LETTER   TO   MISS   MART   HUDSON. 

BOSTON,  Sunday,  p.  M.,  June  4,  1843. 

Your  letter  of  May  14,  my  kind  friend,  and  quon 
dam  patient,  reached  me  in  safety,  and  I  thank  you 
for  it.  It  is  pleasant  to  hold  communion  with  pure 
souls,  and  such  kindness  of  heart  as  you  manifest  in 
all  your  writings.  It  is  Sunday,  and  a  most  blessed 
day  to  me  is  always  Sunday,  but  especially  has  it 
been  so  since,  from  feelings  of  duty,  I  left  the  spot 
that  I  loved,  and  where  I  hoped  always  to  meet  with 
young  hearts.  You  may  think  it  strange  that  the 
sacred  day  has  become  doubly  hallowed  to  me  since 
I  left  the  Chapel,  but  such  is  the  fact.  Now  I  stay 
at  home  and,  in  quiet,  hold  high  communion  with 
my  father's  spirit.  I  study  his  character  and  observe 
his  gradual  development,  whilst  I  arrange  his  papers 
and  journals.  Now  this,  I  am  well  aware,  may  seem  to 
some  an  improper  use  of  holy  hours,  but  they  little 
know  what  a  divine  presence  seems  to  fill  my  little  but 
dear  home  when  thus  I  am  poring,  hour  after  hour, 
over  his  writings.  I  seem  to  breathe  an  atmosphere 
of  heaven  ;  every  emotion  of  my  heart  seems  tuned 
to  devotion.  I  could  not  do  or  feel  so  on  any  other 
day,  for  a  physician  is  so  much  at  the  beck  ...  (I 
got  thus  far  in  my  sentence  when  the  bell  rang  and 
I  was  summoned  to  call  upon  a  pompous  lady  who 
wishes  to  consult  me  about  her  cook  !  Alas,  that 
we  can  never  rise  for  a  moment  from  the  low  earth 
but  that  something  material  will  again  sink  us  ! 
However,  I  will  proceed  and  finish  my  letter,  as  the 


LETTERS  AKD  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    149 

message  says  "  any  time  this  afternoon.")  —  and  call 
of  the  public  that  he  cannot  ever  rise,  save  with 
much  struggling,  to  the  pure  empyrean,  unless  it  be 
during  the  quiet  hours  of  the  Sabbath.  On  some, 
nay,  I  may  say,  on  most  Sundays,  I  am  sure  to  have 
the  "  perfect  solitude  "  you  speak  of,  or  as  I  should 
write  it,  "  perfect  tranquillity,"  for  home  without  my 
darlings  is  but  half  a  home  to  me.  As  I  sit  writing 
on  these  days,  beautiful  trains  of  thought  and  myri 
ads  of  sweet  feelings  come  floating  up  before  me. 
Some,  it  is  true,  are  rather  of  a  dreamy,  reverie 
character,  but  they  have  one  hue  in  the  midst  of 
their  endless  variety.  The  most  prominent  feeling 
is  a  reverential  thankfulness.  As  I  hear  the  bells 
tolling  for  church,  my  heart  goes  up  with  the  vocal 
prayers  of  my  fellow-men  in  gratef ulness  to  God  for 
my  very  life,  that  at  these  times  seems  steeped  with 
blessings.  Now,  I  assure  you  that,  although  I  had 
very  many  pleasant  hours  while  at  the  Chapel,  I 
never  once  had  that  quiet  self-communion  or  inter 
course  with  departed  saints  which  has  blessed  me 
for  several  months  past.  For  the  present,  therefore, 
I  feel  that  it  is  well  for  me  to  avoid  all  church- 
going.  How  long  it  will  be  so  I  neither  know  nor 
care.  The  Sabbath  is  now  to  me  what  it  never  has 
been  before,  —  a  day  of  holy  rest.  .  .  . 

I  have  been  lately  perusing  Carlyle's  "  Past  and 
Present,"  and  have  been  deeply  interested.  Olivia 
does  not  like  him  as  a  writer,  nor  do  I  like  all  his  queer 
phrases  and  foreign  terms ;  but  there  is  such  a  man 
liness  and  such  a  pure  and  simple  devotion  in  his 


150  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

writings,  that  I  always  read  with  avidity  everything 
he  publishes.  In  the  work  I  allude  to,  he  has  the 
following,  with  which  I  sympathize  most  sincerely  : 
"  Who  dare  name  Him.  Most  rituals  and  '  nam- 
ings '  he  will  fall  in  with  at  present  are  like  to  be 
'  namings '  which  shall  be  nameless  !  In  silence, 
in  the  Eternal  Temple,  let  him  worship  if  there  be  no 
fit  word.  Such  knowledge,  the  crown  of  his  whole 
spiritual  being,  the  light  of  his  life,  let  him  keep 
and  sacredly  walk  by.  He  has  a  religion.  Hourly 
and  daily  for  himself  and  the  whole  world,  a  faith 
ful,  unspoken,  but  not  ineffectual  prayer  rises, '  Thy 
will  be  done.'  His  whole  work  on  earth  is  an  em 
blematic  spoken  or  acted  prayer."  Such,  in  my 
opinion,  was  the  life  of  my  father,  and  therefore  I 
never  approach  the  study  of  it  on  Sunday  that  I  do 
not  feel  as  if  in  prayer.  No  matter  how  uncomfort 
able  I  feel  when  I  commence,  at  the  end  I  can  say, 
with  Coleridge,  "I  arise  and  find  myself  in  prayer." 
Why,  then,  should  I  not  find  my  Sundays  truly  the 
Sabbaths  of  the  soul  ?  Well,  it  is  really  strange. 
I  sat  down  to  write  to  you  a  matter  of  business, 
suggested  by  my  father's  papers,  and  here  I  am,  at 
the  end  of  the  fourth  page,  not  a  whit  nearer  the  ob 
ject  I  had  in  view  than  I  was  at  first,  but  you  are 
the  sinner  on  this  occasion.  In  my  early  letters  to 
you,  in  order  to  give  you  a  little  of  my  hopefulness, 
I  ah* owed  myself  to  indulge  in  a  somewhat  egotisti 
cal  strain,  with  what  I  had  seen  and  had  felt,  and 
now  you  perceive  that  I  can't  write  upon  business 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    151 

even,  without  flying  off  in  the  same  direction  ;  and 
from  being  somewhat  romantic  in  my  notions  when 
a  boy,  I  now  am  apt  to  indulge  in  dreamy  vagaries, 
and  of  course  my  correspondents,  to  whom  I  write 
truly  the  feelings  of  my  soul,  get  a  good  supply  of 
"  smoke,  mist,  and  moonshine."  However,  I  believe 
you  to  be  one  of  those  beings  to  whom  I  may  dare 
express  whatever  is  uppermost  at  the  time  of  writ 
ing,  and  I  always  do  so  without  the  least  fear  that 
you  will  ridicule  the  honest  convictions  or  dreams 
of  another,  even  though  you  may  disagree  with  the 
writer.  .  .  . 

Farewell.     God  bless  you.     I  remain, 
Truly  your  friend, 

H.  I.  BOWDITCH. 

TO  HIS  WIFE,  VISITING  FRIENDS  IN  KEENE,  N.   H. 

BOSTON,  July  25,  1844. 

I  am  going  to  heap  coals  of  fire  on  your  head. 
Another  day  has  passed,  and  as  yet  I  have  received 
only  one  letter  for  more  than  a  week,  and  that  letter 
was  written  on  business.  .  .  .  Now  hark  ye,  Ma'am ! 
Let  me  have,  at  least,  two  regular  letters  by  post, 
and  as  many  private  ones  as  you  can  contrive  to 
wedge  in  between  the  regular  lines  of  correspond 
ence.  I  go  along  quite  well,  taking  all  in  all  very 
happily.  The  house  is  my  own.  No  upsettings 
of  places  and  things ;  no  leaving  of  darned  and  un- 
darned  stockings  in  parlors;  no  huge  bundles  of 
work  lie  hither  and  thither  to  my  discomfort.  I  sit 


152  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

most  of  the  time  in  the  front  parlor  preparing  my 
book  on  Auscultation,1  which  I  believe  I  am  fairly 
engaged  in  now. 

The  sweet  consciousness  of  having  no  very  great 
debts  accumulating,  and  the  fact  that  I  have  paid  off 
thirty  dollars  of  wood  bills  that  have  been  standing, 
makes  me  calm  and  happy.  I  have  had  patients, 
but  as  an  old  doctor  of  the  last  century  says  in  his 
diary,  I  have  "  eight  patients  and  never  a  penny." 
My  honors  fall  fast  and  thick  upon  me.  I  shall  be 
chief  marshal  at  Hingham,  August  1st,  where  there 
is  to  be  a  great  gathering.  For  a  moment,  a  few 
days  since,  I  smelt  the  offer  of  a  professorship ;  but, 
alackaday,  my  self-love  deceived  me,  for  upon  ex 
planation  of  the  mysterious  words,  I  found  my  an 
ticipations  vanish  in  "  tenues  auras,9'  as  the  Latins 
used  to  say,  I  think.  I  had  made  such  a  sweet  lit 
tle  cottage  for  me  and  my  mate.  It  was  situated  a 
little  distance  from  a  very  pretty  country  village.  A 
beautiful  greensward  led  up  to  it  from  the  road,  and 
over  the  porch  was  running  a  beautiful  mountain 
fringe  intertwined  with  the  honeysuckle.  I  saw  my 
little  boy  and  girl  sporting  on  the  grass,  while  the 
mother  was  seated  in  her  country  home,  her  pro 
mised  land,  a  second  Canaan.  Her  eyes  were  moved 
with  delight.  Then  I  traveled  off  and  left  my  vil 
lage  home,  and,  taking  wife  and  bairns,  shut  up  the 
little  house  for  a  season,  and  took  my  way  across 
the  Atlantic. 

I  left  her  at  her  father's  home  while  I  went  to 

1  The  Young  Stethescopist. 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    153 

study  and  to  get  up  to  the  level  of  European  science 
for  my  professorship.  Thus  in  my  mind's  eye  we 
went  over  every  five  years,  until  the  fame  of  the 
country  school  had  in  imagination  been  established. 
I  awoke  and  found  it  all  a  dream,  yet  half  reality. 

I  have  had  another  interview  with  that  pure  spirit 
Powers.  I  wrote  a  letter  to  him  before  I  saw  him, 
and  he  found  it  on  my  mantelpiece.  It  made  him 
weep,  and  we  are  sworn  friends.  He  promises  to 
come  and  see  me  once  again  "  before  he  dies."  A 
most  exalted  faith,  an  orthodox  faith,  yet  liberal  as 
the  sun.  Mysterious  is  our  connection  with  each 
other ;  the  glance  of  his  eye  goes  through  me,  and 
I  see  that  he  loves  me.  He  told  me  a  friend  of  his, 
a  clergyman,  means  to  come  and  see  me  when  he 
comes  to  Boston,  so  that  he  may  know  me.  How 
pleasant  these  God-sent  beings,  who  occasionally  flit 
across  my  path  !  Few  can  understand  the  delight  I 
experience  in  meeting  such  an  one.  Do  you  think 
you  can  ?  I  expect  a  letter  from  him. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  good  my  country 
visit  has  done  to  me.  I  seem  to  be  living  a  new 
life,  or  rather  I  am  carrying  two  lives,  —  one  of  tur 
moil  and  vexation  in  my  professional  cares,  the  other 
a  divine  state  of  existence  that  hallows  and  sanctifies 
every  hour  of  life.  A  sweet  trust  seems  to  have 
taken  possession  of  me.  I  walk  out  and  feel  dis 
posed  to  smile  all  the  day.  Nothing  seems  to  disturb 
that  equanimity  of  soul  that  I  gained  while  worship 
ing  the  Almighty  in  one  of  "  His  first  temples  "  near 
Beaver  Brook.  The  simple  ones  thought  I  went  to 


154  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

sketch.  I  went  for  a  holier  purpose,  —  to  pray  — 
to  draw  in  from  that  pure  source  that  divine  spirit 
of  peace  that  always  glides  in  the  waters,  and  rustles 
the  leaves  of  the  old  weather-beaten  forest.  Thank 
God  that  He  vouchsafed  to  me  a  heart  that  loves 
Nature,  —  that  adores  Him  in  it. 

TO   MISS   MAEY  C.  RIGNALL,  AFTERWARDS  MRS.  WHEELER, 
OF  BURLINGTON,  VT. 

Sunday  Morning,  July  29,  1844. 

DEAR  MARY,  —  Since  my  return  I  have  been  in  a 
most  placid  frame  of  mind.  My  visit  to  the  country 
seems  still  to  hang  about  me,  with  its  sweet  influ 
ences.  Then,  too,  though  I  feel  at  times  lonely 
enough,  I  rest  contented  for  two  reasons  :  First,  I 
know  that  my  "  Le,"  1  and  especially  my  children, 
are  gaining  health  for  future  conflicts  every  hour 
that  they  reside  at  Keene.  Second,  I  always  enjoy 
to  some  extent  loneliness  and  quiet.  I  can  sit  down 
and  read  or  write  and  be  alone.  Nothing,  even 
of  a  pleasurable  nature,  interrupts  the  genial  flow  of 
the  soul,  upon  whatever  work  I  may  be  engaged ; 
though  I  won't  tell  you  why  I  am  particularly  fond 
of  this  quiet  just  now,  being  engaged  upon  a  work 
which  requires  quiet. 

How  beautiful  is  this  Sabbath  morn  !  Sabbath ! 
Day  of  rest !  What  coarse,  unspiritual,  unromantic 
people  our  fathers  were  to  prefer  the  word  "  Sunday ! " 
In  their  desire  to  avoid  popery  they  fell  into  many 
extravagances  of  the  opposite  character.  The  single 

1  His  nickname  for  his  wife. 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    155 

footfall  of  the  passer-by  does  not  prevent  me  from 
hearing  the  singing  of  the  birds  and  that  sweet 
hum  of  nature  to  which  I  alluded  in  my  letter,  and 
which  to  a  listening  ear  is  heard  even  in  the  heart 
of  a  city.  I  am  getting  romantic  and  solemn,  so 
let  us  change  the  scene  and  have  some  fun.  It  will 
do  us  as  much  good,  for  it  will  remind  us  of  friends 
and  old  innocent  frolics. 

I  send  you  a  note  from  S ,  the  "  unforgettable 

person"  what  sews  and  makes  cakes,  "does  up" 
muslins,  and  passes  "  so  many  hours  of  solid  happi 
ness  "  in  the  duties  of  stitching.  He  alludes  to  a 
note  I  wrote  to  him  before  I  went  away,  as  a  voucher 
for  the  payment  of  the  bill  for  carriage  hire,  and  of 
our  gratitude  for  his  kindness.  He  speaks  of  "  lov 
ing"  folks  in  his  note,  and  I  cannot  but  think  that 
you  produced  a  very  serious  effect  upon  his  heart. 
What  a  nice  domestic  creature  he  would  make,  —  as 
playful  as  Punch,  as  docile  as  a  lamb,  and  capable 
as  the  most  notable  housewife  in  the  world ;  able  to 
make  doughnuts  or  fry  griddles,  to  stew  apple-sauce 
or  to  roast  beef !  I  really  think  such  qualities 
should  not  be  lost  in  retirement. 

But  to  get  back  to  the  serious  mood.  S is 

a  good  fellow,  and  a  genius  in  his  way,  an  unique 
specimen  of  humanity,  one  whose  wit  turns  to  trifles, 
but  whose  soul,  after  all,  is  much  more  capacious  than 
that  of  thousands  who  laugh  at  him ;  a  man  over 
flowing  with  the  milk  of  human  kindness,  and  who, 
I  really  believe,  was,  to  a  certain  extent,  sorry  that 
the  money  for  the  carriage  was  paid. 


156  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Give  my  love  to  Eliza,  and  take  much  for  your 
self.  I  have  had  some  very  sweet  letters  from  my 
"  Le."  God  bless  her !  What  a  lucky  fellow  I  was 
to  meet  that  woman  in  an  obscure  pension  bour- 
geoise  !  Not  an  hour  of  the  day  passes  that  I  do 
not  think  it  providential.  I  like  English  women. 
What  they  know  they  do  know.  There  is  a  finish 
about  them.  After  such  a  general  compliment  as 
that,  and  which  becomes  very  "partikalar  "  when 
you  consider.  Ma'am,  that  I  know  but  two  English 
women,  you  cannot  expect  me  to  say  anything  more 
than 

Thine  forever  in  solitary  "  vidderhood," 

HENRY. 

In  a  letter  to  his  wife  he  gives  an  amusing  account  of 
an  anti-slavery  meeting,  and  its  unfortunate  ending. 

August,  1844,  Wednesday  Noon. 

But  I  must  answer  some  of  your  questions.  .  .  . 
We  went  to  Hingham.  Started  about  9  A.  M.  Such 
a  medley  of  "  black  spirits  and  white,  blue  spirits  and 
gray,"  I  have  never  seen  before.  Your  humble  ser 
vant  appeared  at  the  head  of  the  Suffolk  division, 
followed  by  four  fat  black  women,  and  arm  in  arm 
with  Douglass.1  There  were  nearly  four  thousand 
people  present,  in  a  beautiful  grove  near  the  village. 
Among  others  I  spoke  exactly  five  words  in  reference 
to  a  committee  for  poor  Torrey,  in  Baltimore  jail ; 
but  the  gems  of  the  occasion  were  the  collation  and 

1  Frederick  Douglass. 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    157 

the  return  home  at  night.  The  collation  I  assisted 
at  as  servant  to  the  public,  quite  in  accordance  with 
the  doctrine  "  he  that  is  first  (being  chief  marshal) 
among  you,  let  him  be  your  servant."  I  perceived 
during  that  time  that  there  were  some  rowdies  among 
the  crowd  disposed  to  make  trouble.  They  did  so 
at  night.  I  talked  with  many  very  pretty  girls,  all 
an ti- slavery  to  their  backbones.  Saw  Mrs.  Follen, 
Susan,  and  the  bright-eyed  Mary  Cabot.  Mrs.  Chap 
man,  id  omne  genus,  I  was  also  delighted  to  see  and 
shake  hands  with.  They  have  been  residing  at  Wey- 
mouth  for  some  time  past.  At  7.30  p.  M.  we  left 
(that  is,  Abbie  Southwick  and  I,  who  had  walked 
from  the  grove  together)  on  board  the  General  Lin 
coln  to  go  on  board  of  the  Portland,  which  lay 
about  half  a  mile  off  aground.  One  boatload  had 
previously  gone.  Finally  we  were  all  safely  depos 
ited  on  the  huge  sea  boat,  and  to  my  horror  I  per 
ceived  some  difficulty  in  moving.  The  captain  and 
pilot  seemed  in  doubt  whether  they  could  proceed. 
A  fog  was  gathering  in  from  the  east  and  night  was 
fast  hastening  upon  us.  Suddenly  the  boat  stopped 
and  we  were  aground !  The  engines  were  stopped, 
and  the  anchor  dropped,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we 
were  completely  enveloped  in  a  fog  bank,  and  pre 
parations  were  made  for  resting  until  the  moon  arose. 
Slowly  and  heavily  and  sickly  arose  my  darling 
Phoebe,  and  not  one  ray  of  hope  did  she  give  us. 
She  only  served  to  show  how  miserable  we  were. 
The  captain  retired  to  his  bunk,  the  wheelman 
stretched  himself,  and  all  soon  became  aware  that  we 


158  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

were  to  wait  till  morning.  I  would  that  I  could 
describe  the  various  emotions  that  arose  within  me. 
There  were  at  least  three  hundred  who  could  not 
even  procure  a  seat,  much  less  a  berth.  White  ladies 
with  delicate  dresses  were  in  close  proximity  with 
some  of  the  softer  sex,  likewise,  but  of  every  hue 
and  color.  Some  of  these  last,  it  is  true,  behaved 
much  better  than  their  whiter  companions.  Here 
was  a  long-visaged  Abolitionist  by  the  side  of  a  dap 
per  gentleman  whose  sense  of  propriety  was  much 
shocked  at  the  proximity,  and  who  had  come  to  Hing- 
ham  for  a  joke.  But  the  predominant  feeling  I  had, 
was  a  sense  of  the  ludicrous.  I  was  laughing  for 
the  first  half  of  the  night  immoderately.  Garrison 
laughed  till  he  cried.  I  even  served  to  raise  the 
spirit  of  mirth  by  ringing  the  steward's  bell,  and  call 
ing,  "  All  hands  to  supper,"  when  in  fact,  nothing 
either  to  eat  or  drink  could  be  found  on  board.  I 
passed  around  and  watched  the  groups.  In  one 
place  Oliver  Johnson  was  spouting  like  an  Orthodox 
clergyman  ;  in  another  a  blind  man  was  examining 
phrenologically  all  the  heads  of  the  company,  and 
producing  by  his  discoveries  shouts  of  laughter ;  in 
another  part  a  number  were  singing  songs,  another 
telling  stories  ;  another  party,  still  more  vociferous, 
were  cheering.  Down  in  one  part  of  the  cabin  sat 
a  couple  bolt  upright,  back  to  back,  sleeping  and 
nodding.  Having  nothing  to  lean  upon,  they  deter 
mined  to  be  helpmates  indeed  on  that  occasion,  and 
slept  on  each  other's  shoulders.  In  another  sat  a 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    159 

man  the  very  picture  of  despair  from  sleepiness,  but 
unable  to  sleep  from  being  continually  jostled  by  the 
crowd ;  on  tables,  floors,  under  the  stairs,  upstairs, 
downstairs,  on  wood  piles,  etc.,  were  thrown  together 
a  heterogeneous  mass  of  human  beings.  Meanwhile 
the  night  wore  on.  Finding  it  impossible  for  many 
ladies  to  get  seats,  I  determined  to  amuse  myself 
by  helping  them  ;  so,  therefore,  I  was  engaged  from 
nearly  twelve  to  two  or  three  in  raking  up  all  the 
boards  and  blocks,  etc.,  and  making  temporary  seats. 
I  received  the  thanks  of  several  women,  and  I  thought 
of  you,  darling,  and  was  blessed  through  their 
mouths,  for  it  seemed  as  though  you  spoke  through 
them.  About  the  middle  of  the  night  I  found  it 
necessary  to  curb  the  antic  spirit  of  merriment  I  had 
helped  to  raise,  but  I  found  it  much  more  difficult 
to  quell  than  I  expected.  The  very  essence  of  fun 
seemed  to  have  spread  itself  over  those  who  could 
not  get  seats  or  berths.  I  remonstrated  quietly,  and 
at  length  I  made  a  speech  about  ladies  and  the  du 
ties  of  Abolitionists,  etc. ;  all  in  vain.  In  despair  I 
rushed  into  the  crowd  and  caught  hold  of  two  or 
three  of  the  most  conspicuous,  and  told  them  I  was 
ashamed  of  them  as  men  and  as  Abolitionists.  This 
stilled  them ;  but  I  stirred  up  the  bile  of  many,  so 
that,  had  I  been  in  a  more  Southern  latitude,  I 
should  have  had  several  duels  on  hand  the  next  day. 
Afterwards  some  quiet  prevailed,  but  still  in  the  for 
ward  part  of  the  boat  was  speech-making  and  singing 
going  on  all  night.  About  three  A.  M.  Mr.  James 


160  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Freeman  Clarke  and  Douglass  held  a  discussion  on  the 
church.  Both  were  very  good  and  very  fan:  to  each 
other.  Among  the  amusing  remarks  made  during 
the  night  there  were  as  follows  :  A  friend  from  Phila 
delphia,  in  despair,  had  curled  himself  up  underneath 
the  stairs,  upon  old  mats,  rusty,  mouldy  slippers,  etc., 
the  very  essence  of  dirtiness.  After  lying  there  some 
time  in  distress  from  cramp  in  his  legs,  from  inability 
to  stretch  them,  he  was  thinking  of  abandoning  his 
post,  when  one  man  passed  by,  and,  putting  his  head 
down  to  look  at  him,  exclaimed :  "  By  George,  that 
man  is  in  the  most  comfortable  place  on  the  ship." 
My  friend  decided  to  hold  on  to  the  place  if  any  one 
could  envy  him  for  it.  Another  for  whom  I  had 
procured  a  seat  (a  very  low  one)  was  just  falling  into 
a  gentle  slumber,  when  he  suddenly  found  himself 
jerked  up  by  his  coat  collar,  and  the  intruder  "  begged 
pardon  "and  informed  him  that  he  thought  he  was 
taking  hold  of  a  chair !  Frequently  during  the 
night  the  sleepers  were  disturbed  and  jumped,  rub 
bing  their  eyes,  exclaiming,  "  Have  we  arrived  ?  " 
when  any  rogue  chose  to  exclaim  "  Passengers  will 
please  prepare  their  baggage  for  Marblehead,  Bev 
erly,  Texas,  etc. ; "  and  finding  their  mistake  the 
sleepers  would  quietly  fall  asleep  again.  About  mid 
night  the  fearful  cry  of  "  A  boy  overboard  "  was 
heard,  and  scampering  was  made  hither  and  thither. 
Sure  enough,  a  young  fellow,  overcome  with  drowsi 
ness,  had  fallen  from  the  stern  rail.  He  had  his  wits 
enough  to  swim  to  the  rudder,  and  received  only  a 
wetting,  much  to  my  joy,  who  did  not  want  any 


LETTERS  AND   EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    161 

surgery.  Towards  morning,  that  is,  half  past  three, 
I  tried  to  sit  down  on  the  wheel  box.  I  had  scarcely 
dropped  asleep,  ere,  bang  I  bang  !  went  the  reveille, 
or  morning  tap  of  the  drum,  to  waken  the  band.  At 
4.30  I  found  a  berth  and  slept  soundly,  and  awoke, 
and  was  rejoiced  at  finding  ourselves  steaming  away, 
as  I  supposed,  towards  Boston.  Whilst  I  was  gone 
I  understood  one  of  the  wittiest  meetings  of  the 
whole  night  took  place.  The  cry  of  "  Breakfast  is 
ready  "  had  been  tantalizing  us  all  night.  Some  one 
from  a  knot  of  speakers  cried  out,  "  Mr.  Moderator, 
I  move  that  breakfast  be  laid  on  the  table"  " Be 
fore  that  is  done,"  cried  Douglass,  "  I  rise,  sir,  to  a 
pint  (point)  of  order."  "  If  we  have  laid  it  on  the 
table,  Mr.  Speaker,"  cried  another,  "  I  move  we  now 
take  it  and  discuss  it."  "  On  this  occasion,  Mr. 
President,"  said  a  grave,  cadaverous  looking  man,  — 
"  on  this  occasion,  Mr.  Speaker,  I  will  offer  myself  as 
a  martyr  tied  to  a  steak  (stake)."  A  perfect  shower 
of  wit,  more  or  less  good,  was  thus  kept  up  for  half 
an  hour.  "  Mr.  Speaker,"  said  one,  "  I  move,  as  we 
cannot  get  a  breakfast,  that  we  resolve  ourselves  into 
a  breakfast."  The  last  resolution  was  this  :  "  Ke- 
solved,  that  we  have  had  a  breakfast  and  feel  com 
fortable."  So  passed  the  night.  At  7.30  A.  M.  we 
arrived  at  the  wharf.  Frank  Cabot,  William  White, 
and  I  walked  up,  feeling  dirty  and  rather  stupid,  but 
thinking  that  many  would  remember  the  1st  of 
August,  1844.  .  .  . 

H. 


162  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

JOURNAL. 

Sunday,  August  11,  1844. 

Thirty-six  years  ago,  on  August  9,  1808,  my 
mother  bore  me.  What  have  these  thirty-six  years 
produced  of  value  to  repay  her  for  her  sufferings  at 
that  time,  and  her  anxiety  for  more  than  twenty  years 
after  ?  I  will  try  impartially  to  review  what  has  been 
the  case  with  my  inner  man  for  the  last  few  years. 
My  religious  views  since  leaving  the  Chapel  have 
been  such  that  I  have  never  been  in  church  but  twice 
during  this  whole  period  (nearly  two  years).  I  have 
avoided  the  ceremonies  of  Christians  because  they 
seemed  to  me  unholy.  I  never  felt  prayerful  when 
I  entered  a  congregation.  In  the  quiet  Sabbath 
stillness  of  my  own  heart  I  have  communed  with  God 
and  my  sainted  dead  father,  on  the  first  day  of  every 
week.  These  Sundays  have  been  most  sweet  and 
solacing  to  me,  and  with  each  return  I  have  felt  re 
freshed  and  invigorated  for  the  struggles  of  life. 

My  connections  and  friends  sometimes  argue  with 
me  upon  the  impropriety  of  omitting  these  weekly 
meetings  on  the  score  of  example.  How  absurd ! 
Leaving  out  of  sight  the  presumptuous  and  vain  idea 
that  our  example  weighs  so  much  as  to  induce  others 
to  scoff  at  holy  things  because  we  stand  aloof,  I  would 
remark,  that  if  the  every-day  actions  of  life,  the  con 
stant  endeavor  to  school  myself  to  the  dictates  of 
duty,  is  not  example  enough,  why  then  all  observ 
ances  would  be  null  and  void.  But  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  sooner  we  give  up  ah1  idea  of  the  effect  of 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    163 

our  example,  and  endeavor  to  do  justly,  and  to  love 
mercy,  the  sooner  we  shall  do  the  world  and  ourselves 
good,  and  tend  to  make  both  more  Christian.  But 
mark  well,  I  never  attempt  to  gain  proselytes.  On 
the  contrary,  I  shrink  from  tampering  with  the  faith 
of  another,  unless  that  other  asks  my  opinion.  I 
believe  services  do  good  to  some  minds,  but  to  a 
much  smaller  class  than  is  usually  supposed.  Never 
theless,  I  would  defend  that  class  in  the  enjoyment 
of  their  privilege. 

My  anti-slavery  views  and  connections  have  been 
of  infinite  service  to  me,  and  I  believe  likewise  to 
many  others,  in  that  they  have  made  me  look  deeper 
than  mere  dogmas  or  personal  opinions.  I  can  now 
reverence  a  man  from  whose  opinions  I  wholly  dis 
sent,  if  I  see  evidences  of  honesty  of  character  and 
purity  of  life.  In  fact,  I  have  found  of  late  that  I 
had  a  real  zest  for  the  company  of  those  with  whom 
I  disagreed  on  the  subject  of  voting,  etc.  I  believe 
that  I  am  almost  the  only  one  in  the  Board  of 
Managers  of  the  Anti-slavery  Society  who  does  not 
go  for  disunion.  Possibly  I  may  agree  with  them 
at  some  future  time,  but  at  present  we  are  at 
swords'  points  upon  the  subject.  But  we  embrace, 
at  the  same  time  that  we  fight,  for  we  have  learned 
to  tolerate  differences  of  opinion  where  honesty  is 
the  foundation. 

In  married  life  I  have  been  thrice  blessed  — 
blessed  first  in  meeting  that  dearly-loved  English 
girl  who  has  been,  ever  since  she  has  been  my  wife, 
one  of  the  brightest  gems  of  life.  Upon  her  love 


164  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

have  I  rested  when  trial  was  on  me.  Her  quiet 
support  has  been  priceless.  Very  precious  has  she 
ever  been  to  me,  passing  the  price  of  rubies.  My 
two  other  blessings  have  been  my  children.  My 
boy  is  growing  up  stout  and  hearty,  with  more  the 
appearance  of  an  English  lad  than  one  of  our  thin 
American  boys.  His  disposition  is  most  loving,  and 
his  tendencies,  I  think,  good.  His  name  is  a  bene 
diction.  My  little  "  Le "  reminds  me  of  myself. 
Heaven  spare  them  both  to  us,  and  give  us  many 
more  as  diamonds  in  our  coronet  of  married  life. 

In  regard  to  my  personal  estate  :  always  having 
been  one  of  the  lean  kind,  I  still  remain  so.  Some 
say  that  my  enthusiasm  runs  away  with  my  phy 
sique,  but  it  is  all  nonsense.  I  never  hurt  myself 
seriously  by  my  enthusiasm.  I  can  work  with  power 
for  a  time,  but  a  reaction  comes,  and  I  rest.  At  the 
earlier  times  of  the  Latimer  case,  my  neophyte  zeal 
made  me  almost  insane,  and  I  really  fear  that  if  I 
had  not  had  the  "  Latimer  Journal "  as  a  safety 
valve,  my  mind  would  have  been  seriously  impaired. 
But,  thank  Heaven,  I  feel  as  fresh  now  as  a  lark, 
but  a  more  deadly  opponent  of  slavery  than  ever. 
Vermont  and  Connecticut  have  both  passed  laws 
similar  to  the  Latimer  Law,  and  ere  long  I  trust  all 
the  states  will  go  and  do  likewise.  The  mass  peti 
tion  which  set  that  ball  in  motion  was  my  idea,  and 
my  mind,  time,  and  body  were  spent  freely  upon  it. 
But  since  that  time  I  have  recruited  in  body,  and  my 
mind  was  never  clearer,  my  heart  never  more  loving 
than  at  present.  I  worship  God  on  the  hilltops,  by 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    165 

the  running  stream  or  foaming  waterfall,  with  less 
fervor  yet  more  quiet  enthusiasm  than  when  as  a 
lad  in  coUege  I  walked  backward  into  Boston  for 
the  sake  of  enjoying  the  glory  of  the  setting  sun. 

There  is  one  most  striking  difference  between  me 
as  a  man  now,  and  myself  as  a  young  student.  I 
have  sober  hours,  long  tedious  sober  hours,  when 
my  enthusiasm  dies,  hope  disappears,  and  I  seem 
laboring  for  that  which  satisfieth  not.  I  generally 
can  refer  these  feelings  to  the  various  trials  of  life, 
or  to  physical  infirmity,  difficult  or  tedious  cares,  the 
want  of  money  for  my  family,  or  what  may  seem 
most  absurd  for  a  wise  man  to  confess,  the  vile  east 
winds  of  Boston  that  chill  my  whole  body.  These 
are  my  trials,  and  I  thank  God  I  have  only  one  faith, 
that  by  effort  I  can  sometimes  bring  to  my  aid ;  viz., 
that  He,  the  Almighty,  never  forsakes  him  that  rests 
upon  God's  arms.  A  silent  prayer  in  the  middle  of 
a  crowded  street,  or  at  the  bedside  of  a  sick  patient, 
will  frequently  make  me  as  serene  as  my  father  was 
on  his  death-bed.  But  these  trials  I  never  had 
when  a  boy,  nor  until  after  my  commencement  of  a 
professional  life. 

How,  then,  shall  we  answer  the  question  ?  Have 
my  thirty-six  years  of  life  been  of  sufficient  service 
to  myself  and  others  as  to  repay  the  mother  of  my 
youth  for  her  toil  ?  I  cannot  but  think  that  where 
one  hour  of  wretchedness  has  darkened  my  existence 
I  have  had  ten  thousand  of  perfect  delight.  If  my 
children  can  ever  say  as  much,  I  shall  be  thrice 
blessed  to  have  been  their  father. 


166  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

LETTER  TO   MISS  MARY  H 

Sunday  evening,  October  20, 1844. 

FRIEND  AND  PATIENT  MARY,  — 

But  I  will  finish  preaching  and  tell  you  of  one  of 
my  patients,  to  whom,  though  I  have  seen  him  but 
four  times,  I  have  become  most  deeply  attached. 
'T  is  four  months  or  thereabouts  since  I  met  a  tall, 
intellectual  looking  man  in  my  office,  on  my  return 
from  visiting  my  patients.  The  first  glance  at  his 
eye  was  a  talisman  that  carried  me  into  immediate 
communion  with  him,  and  the  rich  yet  sweet  tones 
of  his  voice  seemed  like  those  of  one  long  lost  and  fa 
miliar.  He  had  an  Emersonian  head  and  reminded 
me  of  my  classmate,  Charles  C.  Emerson.  A  finely- 
made  brow  (over  which  straggled,  with  rather  a 
negligent  yet  not  unneat  appearance,  a  full  head  of 
hair)  arose  in  full  proportion,  and  combined  most 
harmoniously  with  his  rich  blue  intellectual  and 
mild  eyes  and  aquiline  nose.  His  mouth  was 
somewhat  pinched  and  his  lips  were  thinned  by 
disease,  but  they  bore  the  marks  of  having  been  of 
that  large  and  beautiful  outline  such  as  true  refine 
ment  and  delicacy  of  sentiment,  connected  with  in 
tellectual  greatness,  tends  to  create.  The  finest  lips 
I  have  ever  seen  on  the  likeness  of  any  man  are 
those  in  an  engraving  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh.  This 
young  man's  mouth  resembled  his  in  some  degree. 
Put  such  a  man  as  I  have  attempted  to  describe  into 
a  sombre  student's  dress,  and  you  have  the  appear- 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    167 

ance  of  the  young  genius  Powers,  an  Orthodox 
clergyman,  one  whom  I  now  call  friend,  because,  for 
sooth,  I  cannot  help  it,  for  he  has  been  a  friend  to 
my  soul.  "  I  came  to  ask  you,  sir/'  said  he,  in  a 
mild  yet  strangely  decided  tone,  —  "I  came  to  ask 
you  to  examine  my  lungs.  I  do  so  at  the  request 
of  friends.  For  myself  I  ask  nothing.  I  am  sure 
of  being  a  dead  man  before  the  year  terminates.  I 
am  prepared  for  that,  so  do  not  excite  any  false 
hopes ;  if  you  do,  you  will  do  me  mischief."  "  Ah," 
thought  I,  as  I  scanned  his  frail  figure,  "  here  is  a 
noble,  manly  being,  most  heroically  struggling  with 
consumption.  Sure  of  death,  yet  simply  and  truth 
fully  prepared  to  meet  it.  I  must  know  more  of 
you.  You  are  a  unique  case."  To  tell  a  long 
story  in  a  few  words,  I  will  merely  say,  after  having 
examined  him  and  given  my  medical  opinion,  I  con 
versed  with  him  upon  the  high  and  holy  theme  of 
his  faith  in  the  life  to  come.  "  How  comes  it,"  said 
I,  "  that  you  have  this  sweet,  this  strong  faith  that 
supports  you  so  much  as  to  make  you  look  thus 
tranquilly  towards  your  certain  end  ?  The  natural 
shrinking  from  death  which  all  have,  until  a  few 
hours  before  its  actual  approach,  you  seem  to  have 
thrown  aside  without  an  effort.  Tell  me  how  it  is. 
Do  you  always  feel  thus  quiet  at  the  thought  of  the 
grave  ? "  "  Doctor,"  said  he,  "  I  have  it  always 
before  me.  I  do  not  desire  to  live  any  longer  than 
I  can  be  of  service.  I  feel  as  sure  of  going  to  a 
better,  a  more  delightful  home,  where  I  shall  be  able 
to  converse  with  all  the  great  and  good  that  have 


168  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

ever  lived,  as  I  do  feel  sure  of  anything  admitting 
of  merely  spiritual  evidence.  You  ask  me  for  an  ex 
ample.  I  will  give  you  one.  If  my  father  should 
write  to  me  that  he  was  coming  to  take  me  from 
here  on  a  certain  day  I  should  believe  him,  and  make 
my  arrangements  accordingly.  I  should  pack  up 
my  trunk,  settle  my  accounts,  and  prepare  for  the 
journey.  Just  such  a  faith  do  I  have  that  my 
Father  in  heaven  will  come  for  me.  He  has  sent 
me  messages  by  my  many  symptoms,  and  I  am  now 
preparing  for  the  journey."  All  this  was  said  so 
simply,  so  candidly,  so  perfectly  without  pretence, 
that  I  was  delighted  and  astonished.  I  felt  that 
he  strengthened  my  faith,  gave  me  more  manliness, 
cheered  me  in  my  despondency,  persuaded  me  to 
forget  the  trifles  of  the  world,  and  to  lean  more 
securely  on  God.  Under  these  feelings  I  took  him 
to  my  heart  of  hearts  as  friend.  With  undoubting 
confidence  I  said  so  in  a  letter  that  I  wrote  to  him 
a  week  or  two  afterwards.  I  was  sure  of  him.  He 
told  me  I  was  not  mistaken,  and  that  the  first  few 
lines  of  it,  in  which  I  showed  that  confidence,  moved 
him  even  to  tears.  God  be  thanked  that  I  have  a 
soul  that  spurns  conventionalisms  and  mere  physi 
cal  constraints,  and  dares  at  such  times  to  dive  fear 
lessly  and  with  a  loving  faith  into  the  bosom  of  one 
who,  to  the  hour  of  our  meeting,  has  been  bodily  a 
perfect  stranger  to  me.  How  sweet  such  friendships 
are  to  me  !  Think  not,  however,  that  I  meet  many 
such  in  this  world.  Only  two  or  three  times  have  I 
had  that  divinely  inspired,  unwavering  confidence. 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    169 

What  care  I  whether  I  ever  see  him  again  bodily  ? 
He  lives  in  my  heart  and  encourages  me  daily  by 
his  sweet  presence  there  ;  yet  I  am  ashamed  of  my 
self  when  I  think  how  unworthy  I  am  to  have  his 
kindness  and  affection.  What  think  you  of  such 
friendship  that  feels  little  desire  for  the  bodily 
presence,  and  in  fact  which  seems  to  give  more  real 
delight  by  its  spiritual  influence  than  it  can  gain  by 
words?  We  throw  a  halo  around  absent  friends 
that  we  cannot  give  them  when  present  to  our  sight. 
Absence  seems  to  have  the  effect  of  death  ;  it  hal 
lows  and  makes  beautiful  even  blemishes.  But  when 
absence  brings  to  our  thoughts  a  noble  soul,  es 
pecially  one  most  manfully  struggling  against  what 
seems  to  us  a  dark  fate,  I  confess  to  you  a  feeling 
almost  allied  to  worship  comes  up  within  me,  and  I 
am  thrown  into  that  state  in  which  a  human  being 
is  when  he  truly  prays. 

"Well  done!  Enthusiast!  Dreamer!  Transcen 
dental  nonsense-writer  !  "  exclaim,  I  seem  to  hear, 
many  worthy  souls ;  but  fortunately  this  epistle  is 
not  intended  for  them,  but  for  you,  my  good  friend 
and  patient.  You  will  not  laugh,  or  at  least  if  you 
do,  you  will  be  laughed  at  in  return. 

"  Le  "  is  now  playing  some  pretty  Italian  music, 
and  the  evening  of  this  Sabbath  has  been  most 
pleasantly  terminated  by  this  to  you,  while  my  good 
wife  has  been  giving  us  sweet  touches  on  the  piano 
and  occasionally  sweeter  strains  (to  me  at  least)  of 
her  voice.  She  sends  to  you  much  love. 

Truly  yours,  H.  I.  B. 


170  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

EXTRACT  FROM  JOURNAL. 

August  9,  1845. 

.  .  .  Take  it  for  all  in  all,  this  last  year  has  been 
the  happiest  of  my  life.  .  .  .  My  darling  wife  has 
been  ever  with  me,  save  at  present,  when  she  is  at 
London  on  an  errand  of  filial  love,  to  comfort  a  sick 
father.  My  anti-slavery  is  rather  of  the  medium 
stand.  I  do  not  take  disunion  ground,  such  as  that 
taken  by  Garrison,  for  I  think  that  that  is  giving 
up  the  political  element  of  our  people,  but  I  would 
have  our  representatives  protest  and  retire  from 
Congress ;  but  our  people  will  do  nothing.  The 
Whigs  do  not  care  for  anything  but  tariff.  Witness 
the  speech  by  R.  C.  Winthrop  at  Faneuil  Hall  on 
July  4th.  The  Republican  party  is  sold  to  slavery. 
The  Liberty  party  hugs  the  Union  with  death  grasp. 
We  shall  do  nothing  but  allow  our  noses  to  be 
ground  off,  and  then  have  Southern  bravado  for 
having  done  the  grinding  so  effectually  and  deli- 
ciously.  We  are  a  tame-spirited  race,  forever  like 
Ulysses'  companions,  imagining  ourselves  men,  when 
in  fact  we  are  mere  animals,  soulless,  brainless  ani 
mals.  .  .  .  During  the  past  year  I  have  become  ac 
quainted  with  three  noble  souls,  —  one,  Anne  Sever 
of  Kingston,  a  clear-witted,  intellectual,  and  devoted 

heart ;  E P ,  a  modest  flower,  but  with  an 

eye  that  was  itself  a  soul,  and  when  you  become 
acquainted  with  that  soul  you  find  it  of  pure  gold, 
a  refined,  delicate  spirit  which  does  not  tell  for  half 
its  worth  until  you  enter  into  its  sacred  depths ;  and 


LETTERS  AND   EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL    171 

finally,  Daniel  Powers,  that  beautiful  spirit  that  I 
met  when  it  was  hovering  on  the  borders  of  the 
grave,  and  from  whom  I  drew  such  sublime  faith  in 
the  future,  and  most  quiet  resignation  to  apparent 
evil.  I  cannot  tell  how  much  they  have  all  done 
for  me.  I  think  I  have  engrafted  a  part  of  their 
hearts  on  mine,  or  rather  their  sweet  and  noble  souls 
have  stimulated  my  own  to  fairer  objects  of  pursuit, 
and  thereby  I  have  been  made  better.  God  bless 
them  all. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE   TORREY  AND   THE   HANNUM-PEARSON   EPISODES 
LETTERS EXTRACTS    FROM   JOURNAL 

1846-1849 

IN  the  manuscript  of  the  "  Thirty  Years'  War  of  Anti- 
Slavery,"  chapter  iv.,  I  find  the  following  note  upon  the 
death  of  Charles  T.  Torrey,  the  Abolitionist.  My  father's 
letters  to  James  Russell  Lowell,  and  the  extract  from  his 
Journal  upon  this  subject,  are  also  given. 

The  Rev.  Charles  T.  Torrey  was  thrown  into 
prison  for  simply  helping  slaves  to  escape  and  for 
being  an  Abolitionist.  He  was  bold  and  free  in  the 
expression  of  his  opinion  in  a  slave  State,  Maryland. 
After  his  release  from  prison  he  made  a  solemn  vow 
to  remember  those  in  bonds  as  bound  with  them. 
He  went  to  Albany  and  edited  a  paper,  but  he  was 
called  upon,  by  a  slave  who  had  escaped  to  Canada, 
to  go  to  Virginia  to  help  his  wife  and  children 
escape.  True  to  his  vow,  he  went,  was  caught, 
arrested  and  again  confined.  He  tried  to  escape 
and  failed,  and  again  was  thrown  into  worse  condi 
tion.  He  was  heavily  ironed  in  a  damp,  low-arched 
cell,  and  finally  on  trial  sentenced  to  six  years' 
imprisonment  in  the  penitentiary.  He  would  not 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  173 

confess  that  he  had  done  wrongly,  in  order  to  get 
commutation  or  release.  "  I  cannot  afford  to  con 
cede  any  truth  or  principle  to  get  out  of  jail."  In 
two  and  a  half  years,  viz.,  May  9,  1846,  he  died, 
slain,  as  I  firmly  believe,  in  behalf  of  liberty. 

LETTER  TO   JAMES  RUSSELL   LOWELL. 

BOSTON,  May  3,  1846. 

FRIEND  LOWELL,  —  By  private  advices  we  hear 
that  Torrey  will  die  ere  many  days  have  passed. 
He  may  be  dead  now,  even ;  cut  down  by  the  recre 
ant,  craven  spirit  of  this  false  republic !  We  have 
thought  of  having  a  public  funeral  service  at  Fan- 
euil  Hall,  and  a  burial  at  Mt.  Auburn.  If  this 
is  done,  we  shall  hope  to  hear  from  the  poets  of 
our  land,  the  true  ministers  of  God  and  of  Christ 

at  the  present  era.     I  have  written  to ,  to  see 

if  he  could  be  induced  to  look  upon  the  theme 
as  sufficiently  inspiring  for  his  Muse.  I  fear,  how 
ever,  the  cotton  bags  will  cover  him  up,  so  that 
neither  soul  nor  body  will  be  perceptible  ere  long. 
This,  however,  is  entre  nous;  perhaps  it  would 
have  been  kind  not  to  have  said  it,  but  he  has 
fallen  a  good  deal  in  my  estimation ;  but  if  he  is 
a  true  man  he  has  fallen  more  in  his  own  mid 
night  self-respect.  But  to  return  to  yourself.  May 
I,  as  a  man,  hope  to  hear  from  your  inspired  lips 
words  well  befitting  the  solemn  occasion?  May 
I  receive  from  your  heart  of  love  and  high-souled 
honor  sentiments  such  as  I  have,  not  a  few  times, 
obtained  from  your  free-hearted  poetry  ?  I  trust  so. 


174  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Let  not  the  occasion  pass  of  raising  your  voice  of 
solemn  warning,  and  of  bright  hope  likewise.  Were 
I  a  poet,  I  am  sure  that  now,  if  ever,  my  soul 
would  rise  to  the  magnificence  of  some  of  the  battle 
hymns  of  Koerner !  But  now  we  are  called,  not  to 
the  battle  of  the  tented  field,  but  to  the  more  beau 
tiful,  more  noble  struggle  for  God's  right,  by  the 
force  of  the  moral,  divine  nature  of  men  !  Oh,  then 
be  true  to  yourself  on  this  occasion,  and  if,  perchance, 
we  have  no  services  at  the  "  Cradle  of  Liberty,"  let 
the  American  nation  listen,  through  another  medium, 
to  the  heart-stirring  tones  of  your  Muse,  who  seeks 
her  inspiration  not  so  much  from  any  Castilian  fount, 
however  beautiful  it  may  be,  but  rather  from  the 
broad  current  of  time  as  it  rushes  onward  in  its 
course  to  the  far  distant  future. 

Ever  most  faithfully  your  friend, 

H.  I.  BOWDITCH. 

In  response  to  this  letter,  Mr.  Lowell  sent  to  my  father 
the  poem  which  was  published  later,  beginning  "  Woe 
worth  the  hour,"  etc.,  the  manuscript  of  which  is  fastened 
into  my  father's  Journal.  The  letter  accompanying  the 
poem  speaks  of  the  poet's  sympathy,  and  of  his  inability 
to  do  justice  to  the  occasion  in  what  he  has  written. 

LETTER  TO   JAMES   RUSSELL  LOWELL. 

May  18, 1846. 

MY  DEAR  SIR,  —  I  thank  you  sincerely  for  your 
lines  on  Charles  Torrey's  fate.  Their  spirit  is  most 
beautiful  and  their  effect  upon  the  mind  most  health- 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  175 

ful.  I  fear  much,  however,  that  our  nation,  nay, 
that  every  nation  is  too  corrupt,  too  much  wedded 
to  violence,  duly  to  appreciate  their  lofty  spiritual 
tone.  It  seems  to  me  likewise  that,  in  your  sanguine 
hope  in  the  Divine  Nature  and  in  man,  you  antici 
pate  less  violence  than  history  will  permit  us  for  a 
moment  to  hope  for  in  the  great  struggle  for  free 
dom  that  is  going  on.  When  has  a  tyrant  lifted, 
unless  forced  by  blood,  his  heel  from  the  neck  of  his 
slave  ?  Think  you  that  the  blood  of  Love  joy  and 
Torrey  will  be  a  sufficient  offering  to  appease  the  ven 
geance  of  the  slaveholders,  and  that  their  young  lives, 
full  of  love  and  of  Christian  zeal,  will  be  the  seed 
of  "  sweet  mercy  in  the  oppressor's  heart "  ?  Fain 
would  I  believe  so,  if  I  could  ;  but  there  is  a  deep, 
a  damning  feeling  of  oppression  to  all  mercy  where 
the  slave  is  concerned,  and  it  pervades  all  classes. 
Look  at  the  scorn  with  which  the  body  of  that 
sainted  martyr  was  spurned  from  the  sanctuary  (!) 
of  his  brethren,  as  if  forsooth  the  spurious  Chris 
tianity  of  the  day  were  determined  to  hunt  forever 
the  friend  of  the  bondman.  The  same  spirit  that 
excluded  Torrey's  corpse  from  the  vestibule  of  Park 
Street  wields  the  ponderous  lash  on  the  rice  fields 
of  the  South.  Everywhere,  even  in  the  miscalled 
though  reverenced  "house  of  God,"  is  the  slave 
crushed.  Now,  I  am  afraid  that,  long  ere  the  mild 
influences  of  such  a  spirit  as  breathes  in  your  poetry 
shall  have  begun  to  have  influence  on  the  world, 
this  country  will  be  deluged  in  blood.  My  heart 


176  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

points  to  it  when  I  try  to  put  myself  in  the  place  of 
the  slave ;  history,  with  her  thousand  tongues,  praises, 
as  the  highest  of  human  actions,  the  noble  insur 
rection  of  a  crushed  people.  God  speed  the  right,  I 
say,  in  such  a  struggle  when  it  comes  in  this  land. 
Yet  what  a  horrible  ending  ! 

Your  poetry,  my  friend,  is  a  harbinger  of  better 
hours,  but  not  for  this  country,  as  I  fear  we  have 
missed  the  great  idea  of  our  existence ;  and  a  new 
cycle  of  time  must  pass  its  round,  and  a  new  and 
lovelier  race  of  beings  must  settle  on  this  earth,  ere 
man  shall  truly  appreciate  the  divine  doctrine  you 
enunciate  in  the  last  line  of  your  verses. 

But  do  not  think  me  wanting  in  hope.  Far  from 
it ;  your  poetry,  though  I  think  it  will  need  another 
race  to  consummate  it,  fills  me  with  hope.  Park 
Street  Church  violence  prostrates  me  to  the  earth, 
only  to  gain  new  thought,  as  in  the  ancient  story,  by 
touching  my  parent  soil.  If  I  see  the  Devil  before 
me,  I  always  fight  ten  times  harder  than  if  no  super 
human  energy  were  necessary.  As  I  touched  the 
martyr's  lips,  and  smoothed  the  dark  hair  from  his 
youthful  and  intellectual  forehead,  I  felt  as  if  nerved 
by  the  Almighty  arm,  and  I  swore  with  renewed 
earnestness  eternal  and  undying  hostility  to  slavery. 
I  did  it,  too,  with  bright-eyed  Hope  by  my  side. 
Yet  at  the  same  time  came  up  in  the  long  distance 
the  idea  that  slavery  must  be  washed  from  this 
nation  by  blood. 

You  are  perhaps  aware  that  at  my  request  Dr. 
Channing  read  your  lines  at  the  Faneuil  Hall  meet- 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  177 

ing,  and  that  it  was  voted  that  they  should  be  pub 
lished  in  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting. 
With  respects  to  your  wife,  I  remain, 
Very  truly  yours, 

H.  I.  B. 

EXTRACT  FROM  JOURNAL. 

May  8,  1846. 

To-day  and  this  evening  were  finished  the  burial 
rites  of  Charles  T.  Torrey  the  martyr.  He  died  in 
Baltimore  jail.  For  some  time  we  have  been  expect 
ing  to  have  news  of  his  death,  and  a  fortnight  ago, 
at  a  meeting  of  his  friends,  I  was  requested  to  write 
to  the  physician  of  the  infirmary  to  make  prepara 
tions  for  his  body,  that  it  might  be  preserved  for 
the  inspection  of  those  who  would  like  to  see  his  re 
mains.  The  funeral  was  to  have  been  held  in  Park 
Street  Church,  but  Wm.  T.  Eustis  and  others,  after 
battling  with  the  question  from  seven  to  ten  p.  M.  on 
Saturday  evening,  decided  that  the  services  should 
not  be  held  there.  Tremont  Temple  was  opened  to 
us,  and  there  from  twenty-five  hundred  to  three 
thousand  people  collected  and  listened  with  intense 
interest  to  the  simple  tale  of  the  life  of  the  martyr, 
as  portrayed  by  the  brother  of  the  first  martyr, 
Love  joy.  I  thought  I  perceived  but  one  electric 
current  running  through  that  immense  assembly. 
A  sober  feeling,  a  sentiment  allied  to  deep  suffering 
seemed  to  animate  all,  and  it  burst  out  in  audible 
expressions  of  consent  or  of  delight  from  the  au 
dience.  Once  they  clapped,  but  orthodox  piety 


178  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

seemed  to  check  such  exuberance  of  soul.  The 
body  was  visited  by  thousands ;  and  I  carried  Natty 
to  let  him  see  the  revered  face,  and  teach  him  to 
swear  eternal  enmity  to  slavery.  Like  Hamilcar 
of  old,  I  determined  to  make  the  young  Hannibal 
remember,  as  one  of  his  earliest  associations,  his 
father  taught  him  to  hate  slavery.  I  think  he  will 
remember.  I  raised  the  little  fellow  on  my  knee, 
and  allowed  him  to  look,  and  when  I  took  him  down 
he  asked  to  be  allowed  to  look  once  more.  I  then 
told  him  the  history  of  the  good  man's  lif  e,  at  which 
he  seemed  deeply  interested. 

The  services  in  the  church  being  ended,  we  pre 
pared  to  have  a  procession,  but  a  violent  storm  of 
rain  had  come  on,  which  prevented  many  from  go 
ing.  The  crowd  of  carriages  was  immense.  Tre- 
mont  Street  was  blockaded  for  more  than  half  an 
hour.  Finally  the  body  was  carried  to  Mt.  Auburn, 
followed  by  a  long  line  of  carriages.  In  the  even 
ing  a  meeting  was  held  at  Faneuil  Hall.  It  was  not 
crowded,  but  true-hearted  people  were  there.  Let 
ters  from  Stephen  C.  Phillips,  and  lines  from  James 
Kussell  Lowell  were  read.  Staunton  was  most  elo 
quent.  Dr.  W.  H.  Channing  was  all  warmth,  and 
altogether  the  day  was  one  of  the  true  Sabbaths  of 
the  soul.  I  felt  that  I  was  more  truly  praying  than 
ever  I  prayed  in  any  church.  Meanwhile  the  gay 
world  passed  on.  The  pride  and  Jiaut  ton  were  neg 
lectful  of  the  occasion.  All  the  great  men  of  re 
spectability  stood  aloof.  Even could  not  be  on 

the  committee.    We  are  a  great  nation  of  poltroons  ! 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  179 

In  the  summer  following  the  death  of  Torrey,  occurred 
another  of  the  episodes  which  stirred  the  indignation  of 
the  Abolitionists. 

A  slave  from  New  Orleans  had  secreted  himself  in  the 
hold  of  a  vessel  owned  by  a  merchant  of  Boston,  hoping 
to  obtain  his  freedom  in  the  North.  He  was  discovered 
by  the  captain,  who,  after  communicating  with  the  owner 
of  the  vessel,  placed  the  negro  upon  an  island  in  Boston 
harbor  until  a  vessel  bound  for  New  Orleans  should  re 
ceive  him  and  take  him  back  to  his  master.  The  negro 
escaped  to  South  Boston,  but  was  recaptured,  placed  upon 
an  out-going  vessel,  and  returned  to  slavery. 

The  excitement  in  the  community  was  intense,  and  my 
father  naturally  took  a  prominent  position  in  the  open 
denunciation  of  the  affair.  In  one  of  the  many  "  scrap- 
books  "  kept  by  him  is  found  an  interesting  account  of 
the  meeting  at  Faneuil  Hall,  and  of  the  formation  of  the 
"Vigilance  Committee,"  composed  of  forty  members, 
whose  object  was  to  keep  close  watch  upon  any  person  or 
persons  suspected  of  secreting  any  slave  in  or  about  Bos 
ton,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  him  away  against  his  will. 
Their  efforts  were  also  to  be  directed  towards  the  forma 
tion  of  a  National  League  for  Freedom. 

To  quote  his  own  words :  — 

The  action  of  Mr.  H.  Pearson,  merchant  in  Bos 
ton,  and  of  Captain  Hannum,  caused  intense  excite 
ment  in  Massachusetts,  and  more  or  less  throughout 
the  country,  not  only  among  persons  claiming  to  be 
Abolitionists,  but  through  a  much  wider  circle  out 
side  of  our  ranks,  even  among  some  who  thought 
that  the  Abolitionists  were  too  sharp  in  the  de 
nouncing  of  slavery  and  its  abettors.  Slavery  was 
not  so  bad  in  the  estimation  of  the  latter  indi- 


180  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

viduals  whilst  it  remained  South,  but  when,  in  viola 
tion  of  all  law,  it  undertook  to  hide  a  fugitive,  and 
carry  him  back  into  slavery  in  scorn  of  Massachu 
setts  rights,  then  these  people  began  to  feel  a  warm 
interest  in  the  matter  of  chattel  slavery !  It  was 
beginning  to  show  some  of  its  vilest  features  in  the 
free  North,  and  within  sight  of  Bunker  Hill !  "  This 
will  never  do,"  cried  they,  "/or  the  time  being,  we 
strongly  protest."  Mr.  Pearson,  fearing  and  know 
ing  his  Southern  trade  would  be  ruined  if  he  con 
sented  to  a  slave  escaping  in  one  of  his  vessels  from 
New  Orleans,  and  Captain  Hannum,  fearing  arrest 
and  imprisonment  and  heavy  fines  if  he  returned 
without  the  negro  after  he  had  escaped  from  bondage 
in  a  vessel  commanded  by  himself,  were  in  a  dilemma. 
They  thought  to  escape  detection,  but  they  little  knew 
how  keen-sighted  and  quick-witted  in  hunting  out 
runaways  the  Abolitionists  were ;  and  so  their  pretty 
scheme,  though  not  frustrated,  gained  for  themselves 
an  unenviable  reputation,  and  fairly  aroused  our  peo 
ple.  The  Faneuil  Hall  meeting  was  a  complete  suc 
cess.  The  two  Adamses,  Phillips,  and  Parker  spoke 
to  responsive  hearts  of  the  multitude  that  filled  the 
"  Cradle  of  Liberty,"  and  as  a  termination  three 
rousing  cheers  were  given  to  the  honor  of  the  "  Old 
Man  Eloquent,"  John  Quincy  Adams,  who,  though 
in  feeble  health,  had  consented  to  preside.  Boston 
had  made  progress  since  the  times  when  "gentle 
men  of  property  and  standing "  had  free  scope  in 
mobbing  our  anti-slavery  meetings  and  defenseless 
women.  How  the  valuable  autograph  letters  hap- 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  181 

pened  to  be  left  in  my  possession  I  do  not  know. 
I  was  from  the  first  on  the  qui  vive,  and  when  a 
slave  was  in  Boston  at  any  time  I  let  nothing  but 
my  professional  duties  prevent  me  from  devoting 
myself  to  his  succor.  As  the  slave  in  this  instance 
was  on  the  way  back  to  New  Orleans,  my  only  ob 
ject  was  to  do  all  I  could  to  pillory  Pearson  and 
Hannum  as  unmitigated  sycophants  before  the  slave 
power,  and  the  meanest  of  traitors  to  Massachusetts 
liberty  and  laws.  In  this  process  I  may  state  that 
Dr.  Samuel  G.  Howe  and  I  first  moved  in  the  mat 
ter  of  the  public  meeting.  The  draft  of  the  paper, 
finally  printed  as  the  appeal  from  the  Faneuil  Hall 
meeting,  is  in  my  handwriting,  deliberately  done, 
modified,  as  it  was  in  one  part,  by  Governor  Andrew 
in  his  own  chirography.  The  preliminary  meeting 
preparatory  to  that  at  Faneuil  Hall  was  held  at  my 
office  or  at  Dr.  Howe's,  and  certainly  the  first  Vigil 
ance  Committee's  meeting  was  called  by  Dr.  Howe 
at  my  house.1  Hence  it  does  not  seem  unnatural 
that  some,  if  not  all,  of  the  official  documents  should 
have  been  left  with  me. 

1  The  first  call  for  a  meeting  of  the  Vigilance  Committee  reads  as 
follows  :  — 

BOSTON,  September  26, 1846. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  Permit  me  to  inform  you  that  you  were  appointed  a 
member  of  the  Committee  of  Vigilance  chosen  at  Faneuil  Hall  on 
Thursday,  the  24th  inst.,  to  take  means  to  secure  the  protection  of  the 
laws  to  all  persons  who  may  be  in  danger  of  abduction  from  the  Com 
monwealth,  and  to  request  you  to  be  present  at  a  meeting  thereof, 
to  be  held  at  Dr.  Bowditch's  house,  No.  8  Otis  Place,  on  Wednes 
day,  September  30,  at  7.30  o'clock  P.  M.  At  this,  the  first  meeting  of 
the  committee,  it  is  of  the  highest  importance  that,  if  possible,  every 
member  be  present  and  assist  in  its  deliberations. 

S.  G.  HOWE. 


182  HENRY  -INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

That  the  intensity  of  feeling  was  not  one  of  mere  local 
interest,  but  was  widespread  throughout  New  England 
among  those  in  whom  hatred  of  slavery  rose  paramount  to 
every  other  consideration,  is  well  shown  in  letters  written 
to  the  committee,  of  which  my  father  was  a  member,  by 
prominent  men  of  widely  differing  temperaments.  Gerritt 
Smith,  of  New  York ;  William  Slade,  Governor  of  Ver 
mont  ;  Samuel  Fessenden,  Governor  of  Maine ;  Hon. 
William  H.  Seward,  then  Governor  of  New  York,  and 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  were  unanimous  in  their  vigorous 
denunciation  of  the  act. 

The  letter  from  Emerson  is  given  entire. 

CONCORD,  September  23, 1846. 

GENTLEMEN,  —  If  I  could  do  or  say  anything  useful  or 
equal  to  the  occasion,  I  should  not  fail  to  attend  the  meet 
ing  on  Thursday.  I  feel  the  irreparable  shame  to  Boston 
of  this  abduction.  I  hope  it  is  not  possible  that  the  city 
will  make  the  act  its  own,  by  any  color  or  justification. 
Our  State  has  suffered  many  disgraces  of  late  years  to 
spoil  our  pride  in  it,  but  never  any  so  flagrant  as  this,  if 
the  people  of  the  Commonwealth  can  be  brought  to  be  ac 
complices  in  this  crime,  —  which  I  assure  myself  will  never 
be.  I  hope  it  is  not  only  not  to  be  sustained  by  the  mer 
cantile  body,  but  not  even  by  the  smallest  portion  of  that 
class.  If  the  merchants  tolerate  this  crime,  —  as  nothing 
will  be  too  bad  for  their  desert,  —  so  it  is  very  certain 
they  will  have  the  ignominy  very  faithfully  put  to  their 
lips.  The  question  you  now  propose  is  a  good  test  of  the 
honesty  and  manliness  of  our  commerce. 

If  it  shall  turn  out,  as  desponding  men  say,  that  our 
people  do  not  really  care  whether  Boston  is  a  slave  port  or 
not,  provided  our  trade  thrives,  then  we  may  at  least  cease 
to  dread  hard  times  and  ruin.  It  is  high  time  our  bad 
wealth  came  to  an  end. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  183 

I  am  sure  I  shall  take  my  share  of  suffering  in  the  ruin 
of  such  a  prosperity,  and  shall  very  willingly  turn  to  the 
mountains  to  chop  wood  and  seek  to  find  for  myself  and 
my  children  labors  compatible  with  freedom  and  honor. 
With  this  freedom  I  am  proportionately  grateful  to  Mr. 
Adams  and  yourselves  for  undertaking  the  office  of  put 
ting  the  question  to  our  people  —  whether  they  will  make 
this  cruelty  theirs  —  and  of  giving  them  an  opportunity  of 
clearing  the  population  from  the  stains  of  this  crime,  and 
of  securing  mankind  from  the  repetition  of  it  in  this  quar 
ter,  forever. 

Respectfully  and  thankfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

K.  W.  EMERSON. 

In  addition  to  the  letters  just  mentioned,  I  have  found  in 
one  of  his  scrapbooks  the  records  of  the  famous  meeting 
at  Faneuil  Hall  in  the  handwriting  of  John  A.  Andrew, 
who  acted  as  secretary,  with  newspaper  clippings  from 
the  various  journals  of  the  day,  all  of  which  show  by  their 
tenor  the  stress  of  feeling  which  guided  the  actions  and 
words  of  the  whole  community  at  that  time. 

During  the  year  following  the  Hannum  episode,  my 
father,  in  giving  his  assistance  to  a  public  "  call  "  for  the 
purpose  of  nominating  an  independent  candidate  for  the 
presidency  to  support  the  Wilmot  Proviso,1  appealed  to 
the  Hon.  John  P.  Hale  for  the  use  of  his  name.  The  cor 
respondence  between  the  two  men  seems  to  me  of  suffi 
cient  personal  and  historical  interest  to  warrant  its  publi 
cation. 

1  A  measure  to  keep  slavery  out  of  all  new  territory  acquired  in 
consequence  of  the  Mexican  War. 


184  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

FROM  HON.   JOHN  P.   HALE. 

DOVER,  N.  H.,  October  9, 1846. 

MY  DEAR  SIR,  —  Yours  of  the  7th  instant  was  re 
ceived  this  morning,  and  I  hasten  to  answer  it.  I  fear  that 
you  do  not  fully  appreciate  all  the  embarrassments  of  my 
peculiar  position  at  this  time,  when  you  ask  me  to  sign  the 
circular  which  you  have  sent  me.  To  understand  this,  we 
must  look  over  the  whole  ground ;  and  in  so  doing,  it 
would  be  idle  to  attempt  to  overlook  the  fact  that  my  name 
has  been  very  freely  used  in  very  many  of  the  anti-slavery 
papers  as  a  candidate  for  the  presidency  of  the  United 
States.  How  much  against  my  own  wishes  none  know 
better  than  those  who  have  been  most  instrumental  in 
causing  it  to  be  done.  I  repeat  to  you,  however,  the  asser 
tion,  that  in  the  struggles  through  which  I  have  thus  far 
passed  in  the  politics  of  my  life,  nothing  has  occurred 
which  I  would  more  gladly  have  avoided,  could  I  have  done 
so  consistently  with  what  I  believe  due  to  my  friends  and 
the  position  in  which  they  have  placed  me,  than  this  use 
of  my  name  in  connection  with  this  office.  But  the  fact 
that  it  has  been  done,  and  the  rule  of  propriety  by  which 
I  must  be  governed,  relate  to  affairs  as  they  actually 
exist,  rather  than  as  I  would  have  them.  Here  then  is 
this  prominent  fact,  that  many  friends  have  proposed  my 
name  as  a  candidate  for  those  who  would  arrest  the  fur 
ther  extension  of  slavery,  and  do  what  they  constitutionally 
may  for  its  overthrow  and  destruction.  Under  these  cir 
cumstances,  I  put  to  your  own  good  sense  to  determine  if 
it  would  be  proper,  or  delicate,  for  me  to  sign  a  call  for  a 
convention  of  the  people  to  meet  for  the  purpose  of  nomi 
nating  a  president  to  carry  out  these  views.  I  am  anxiously 
and  earnestly  desirous,  above  all  things  in  this  behalf,  to 
see  your  scheme  succeed ;  to  see  the  brave  and  the  true  of 
all  parties,  of  every  name,  forgetting  for  a  while  the  petty 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  185 

differences  which  have  separated  them,  in  the  name  of  a 
common  humanity  and  a  common  God,  uniting  their  ener 
gies  in  one  determined  and  well-directed  effort  against 
slavery,  that  foe  of  God  and  man,  striving  together  in  one 
mind  and  one  heart,  baring  their  breasts  to  the  storm, 
and  meeting  with  united  struggles  every  element  of  oppo 
sition.  Under  the  banners  of  such  a  host  I  ever  hold  my 
self  ready  to  enlist  in  any  capacity  which  the  best  interests 
of  the  common  weal  may  require.  The  platform  on  which 
such  a  movement  must  be  based  however,  to  my  mind  it 
appears,  must  be  broader  than  that  embraced  by  the  Wil- 
mot  Proviso,  which  leaves  slavery  to  riot  in  the  conscious 
ness  of  unquestioned  supremacy  in  the  National  Councils 
of  the  Union,  which  it  now  possesses,  leaves  unchallenged 
the  monstrous  anomaly  that  man  can  hold  property  in  man, 
and  while  Mohammedan  and  Pagan  countries  are  abolish 
ing  slavery  and  the  slave  trade,  permits  the  Federal  City 
to  remain  in  infamous  notoriety,  the  great  market-place 
of  souls  in  which  men,  women,  and  children  are  constantly 
exposed  for  sale  as  mere  articles  of  merchandise.  Can 
these  outrages,  so  repugnant  to  every  feeling  of  humanity, 
so  contrary  to  the  laws  of  God,  be  passed  by  unheeded, 
and  an  appeal  be  successfully  made  to  the  moral  sense  of 
the  nation  to  arouse  itself  and  rally  around  a  standard, 
whose  motto  only  declares  hostility  to  the  further  exten 
sion  of  these  flagrant  evils  ?  I  think  the  answer  to  these 
questions  is  clearly,  "  No ;  "  and  the  league  will  hardly  de 
serve  to  be  called  Holy,  which  contents  itself  with  merely 
declaring  hostility  to  the  further  extension  of  an  evil,  which 
in  its  present  state  renders  our  very  name  a  reproach,  and 
has  plunged  us  in  a  war  of  such  enormity  as  defies  the 
imagination  truly  to  conceive  of  it.  You  say  that  you  are 
truly  sorry  that  the  Independent  movement  in  New  Hamp 
shire  has  been  merged  in  the  Liberty  party.  Grant  that 
it  be  literally  true  as  you  suggest.  Let  me  ask  you  what 


186  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

I  and  my  friends  could  do  ?  We  sounded  the  alarm,  we 
did  all  that  men  could  do  to  warn  the  states,  the  nation, 
of  the  dangers  which  beset  them,  and  we  shall  continue  to 
do  so.  Whigs  and  Democrats  looked  on  with  indifference, 
or  only  asked,  the  one,  what  have  we  to  hope,  and  the 
other  what  to  fear,  from  this  movement  ?  They  were  both 
mainly  interested  in  the  preservation  of  their  respective 
parties,  the  Whigs  encouraging  us  just  so  far  as  they 
looked  for  our  aid  in  breaking  down  the  Democracy,  and 
the  Democrats  cursing  us  in  the  same  degree  that  they 
feared  the  consequence  of  our  movement;  while  on  the 
other  hand  the  Liberty  party  men,  abandoning  for  a  while 
their  own  organization,  and  the  man  of  their  choice,  rallied 
around  me  and  sustained  me  by  their  votes  and  their  sym 
pathies  at  a  time  when  I  and  the  cause  for  which  I  was 
struggling  both  were  in  the  greatest  peril.  Under  these 
circumstances  what  was  to  be  done  ?  Were  we  to  repel 
from  our  sympathies  the  only  friends  we  had,  in  the  hope 
of  gaining  accessions  from  our  opponents  ?  In  one  word 
were  we  to  refuse  the  cooperation  of  those  who  were  ready 
to  work  with  us,  for  fear  of  the  odium  attached  to  a  name 
mainly  on  account  of  the  manliness,  independence,  and  self- 
sacrificing  spirit  of  those  who  had  borne  it  ?  I  think  1 
can  anticipate  your  answer.  I  have  thus  written  to  you 
at  some  length,  and  with  perfect  plainness.  Go  ahead 
in  the  path  of  duty  which  your  judgment  dictates.  If 
my  prayers  and  wishes  could  bring  you  success,  success 
were  surely  yours ;  but  whether  I  judge  wisely  or  unwisely, 
I  think  I  am  in  such  circumstances  that  I  cannot  with 
propriety  give  my  name  to  the  call  which  you  propose 
to  join. 

I  confess  that  I  do  not  see  anything  very  bright  at 
present  in  the  prospects  of  the  future.  A  part  of  the 
nation  seems  to  be  drunken  with  blood,  and  their  insane 
and  impious  ravings  seem  likely  to  silence  the  voice  of 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  187 

remonstrance  which  the  more  sober  portion  of  the  com 
munity  ought  to  send  forth. 

Slavery  in  the  mean  time  at  the  South  is  preparing  to 
marshal  her  forces  for  the  maintenance  of  her  supremacy, 
and  the  first  notes  of  preparation  have  already  produced 
such  effect  at  the  North,  that  the  two  parties  seem  running 
the  race  of  servility  to  determine  who  shall  be  the  first  to 
bow  down  before  it  and  who  shall  bow  the  lowest.  And 
old  Massachusetts  (God  save  the  Commonwealth  of  Mas 
sachusetts  !),  will  she  be  true  ?  When  the  battle  waxes 
hot,  and  the  soldier  of  liberty  is  stricken  down  in  the 
front  rank  of  the  host,  shall  he  find  a  safe  resting  place, 
secure  from  the  encroachments  of  slavery,  within  the  em 
braces  of  that  glorious  land  whose  pride  and  boast  it  is 
that  on  her  soil  the  cradle  of  American  liberty  was  first 
rocked  ?  We  shall  see. 

Very  truly  yours, 

JOHN  P.  HALE. 

DR.  H.  I.  BOWDITCH. 


TO   THE    HON.   JOHN    P.   HALE,  IN   REPLY  TO   THE  FORE 
GOING  LETTER. 

October  13, 1847. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  I  thank  you  for  your  frank  and 
full  letter.  It  increases  my  esteem  for  you.  I  did 
not  really  hope  for  your  signature,  nor,  in  fact,  do 
I  now  hope  for  the  signature  of  any  prominent 
men.  I  did  not  know,  however,  to  what  extent 
you  felt  committed  to  the  Liberty  party,  and  there 
fore  I  determined  to  ask  you  to  join  in  the  call. 
But  pray  do  not  think  that  I  have  looked  upon 
Garrisonian  abolitionism  for  ten  years  past  to  no 
purpose,  and  that  I  regard  the  Wilmot  Proviso  as 


188  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

the  one  thing  needful.  It  is  of  infinitely  small 
importance ;  nevertheless  it  is  more  than  our  recre 
ant  nation  will  be  ready  to  assume.  Bastard  sons 
of  noble  sires !  Nay,  I  am  in  doubt  whether  there 
was  so  much  nobleness  of  souls  about  our  fathers, 
after  all ;  for  did  they  not  compromise  with  slavery, 
and  is  it  not  owing  to  their  compromise  that  our 
country  is  now  in  its  present  political,  miserable 
condition?  I  almost  wish  that  you  would  let  me 
publish  your  letter,  for  I  feel  that  it  would  do 
good.  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  showing  it  to 
two  of  my  brothers,  and  to  one  of  them  (an  old  Whig 
beginning  to  have  some  conscience,  still  a  hater  of 
the  Liberty  party,  as  the  cause  of  the  defeat  of  Mr. 
Clay)  it  has  done  good.  Of  course,  however,  I  shall 
consider  it  private,  totally  and  entirely  so  (with  the 
above-named  exception),  unless  your  consent  is  given 
to  the  contrary. 

And  now  let  me  say  that  I  wish  all  success  to  the 
Liberty  party.  As  such  I  have  for  years  contributed 
to  its  support  in  Boston  and  Massachusetts,  and  in 
helping  to  get  out  the  call  I  did  so,  not  from  hos 
tility  to  the  party,  but  from  the  belief  that  in  the 
politics  of  a  nation  we  should  avail  ourselves  of  the 
various  events  that  appeal  most  strongly  to  the  masses 
of  the  people,  and,  leaving  party  names  to  take  care 
of  themselves,  we  should  rally  the  whole  people  upon 
a  few  simple  objects.  I  shrink  from  the  trammels 
of  party  political  organization.  I  freely  confess  that 
the  longer  I  live  the  less  confidence  I  have  in  parties 
as  such.  Still  they  will  ever  exist,  in  this  present 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  189 

century  at  least,  until  we  get  a  military  despotism, 
and  I  shall  always  be  ready  to  help  any  one  that 
seems  to  have,  as  the  Liberty  party  does,  a  germ  of 
truth  in  it. 

With  sentiments  of  highest  respect,  I  remain 
Yours, 

H.    I.    BOWDITCH. 

In  1846  my  father  returned  to  the  homestead  at  8  Otis 
Place,  where  he  remained  to  the  time  of  its  demolition 
in  1858.  Here  he  first  interested  himself  in  improving 
the  tenements  of  the  poor,  to  which  he  alludes  in  his 
Journal,  a  scheme  which  a  number  of  years  later  took 
practical  shape  in  the  improvement  of  the  so-called 
"  Lincoln  Building,"  jocosely  named  the  "  Crystal  Palace," 
a  three-story  wooden  structure  which  formerly  stood  on 
Lincoln  Street,  the  abiding  place  of  a  set  of  disreputable 
families.  My  father  took  the  deepest  interest  in  this 
plan,  often  visiting  the  families,  and  inducing  the  children 
to  save  their  pennies,  which  they  brought  to  him  to  be 
deposited  in  the  banks.  Frequently  children  from  these 
families  were  invited  to  his  office,  where,  after  collecting 
their  money  and  bank  books,  he  spent  the  evening  in 
reading  aloud  or  instructing  them.  Not  long  after 
wards,  the  Cooperative  Building  Society  was  formed ;  the 
fruit,  doubtless,  of  my  father's  first  efforts  to  better  the 
condition  of  the  tenements  for  the  poor. 

He  alludes  to  these  schemes  in  the  following  extract 
from  his  Journal :  — 

October  31,  1846. 

Within  two  months  I  have  had  two  proofs  of 
the  wisdom  of  following  our  impulse  to  good  and 
trusting  to  human  nature.  First,  I  was  determined 
that  something  ought  to  be  done  about  improving 


190  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

the  tenements  of  the  poor.  Accordingly,  after 
talking  considerably  about  it,  I  persuaded  the  bene 
volent  committee  of  Mr.  Parker's  church1  to  take 
it  up.  They  had  a  meeting ;  I  was  invited  to  at 
tend.  From  that  arose  the  meeting  at  the  Warren 
Street  Chapel,  which  was  the  source  of  that  held  at 
Masonic  Temple,  which  last  chose  a  committee  to 
appeal  to  the  legislature  for  an  act  of  incorporation. 
Second,  Every  one,  on  the  occasion  of  the  recent 
outrage  by  Captain  Hannum  in  carrying  off  a  slave, 
thought  that  something  should  be  done,  yet  no  one 
did  anything.  In  despair,  and  determined  at  least 
to  quiet  my  uneasy  conscience,  I  invited  friends  to 
meet  me  and  consult.  From  that  arose  the  Faneuil 
Hall  meeting  and  the  "  Address  to  the  Public,"  the 
"  Vigilance  Committee ; "  and,  I  hope,  a  National 
League  will  be  the  result. 

In  the  midst  of  his  busy  professional  life  and  the  various 
periods  of  excitement  from  anti-slavery  matters,  my  fa 
ther  found  time  also,  in  the  four  years  following  1846,  to 
devote  himself  to  the  interesting  but  laborious  work  of 
watching  under  the  microscope  the  development  of  the  egg 
of  the  snail.  His  delight  in  observing  the  gradual  changes, 
and  his  wonder  at  the  beauty  of  Nature's  processes,  were 
often  alluded  to  in  after  years.  In  his  work  he  was  greatly 
aided  by  my  mother,  whose  exquisite  pencil  illustrations 
of  the  daily  growth  of  the  snail  are  vivid  and  beautiful 
proofs,  not  only  of  her  talent,  but  of  her  devotion  to  all 
that  interested  him.  This  work  was  well  known  and  re 
spected  among  scientific  men,  both  in  this  country  and  in 
Europe. 

1  Rev.  Theodore  Parker. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  191 

EXTRACT   FEOM  JOURNAL. 

March  20,  1849. 

The  world  has  rolled  onward,  carrying  me  with 
it,  always  busy,  never  resting,  yet  how  little  accom 
plished.  The  great  Free  Soil  movement  I  entered 
into  with  a  most  hearty  relish,  and  never  was  I  so 
rejoiced  as  when  Massachusetts,  by  her  popular  vote, 
rejected  General  Taylor.  The  triumphs  of  anti-slav 
ery,  in  the  last  hours  of  the  recently-closed  Congress, 
notwithstanding  the  rampant  furies  of  the  slave 
power,  were  delightful  to  me  as  evincing  that  slav 
ery  is  doomed.  I  still  remain  a  member  of  the 
anti-slavery  board,  but  I  sympathize  less  and  less 
with  disunion  views.  Nevertheless,  to  Garrison  and 
the  Anti-slavery  Society  proper,  I  believe,  belong 
the  honor  of  ever  raising  the  standard  of  freedom 
higher.  They  do  so  by  their  very  energy  of  ex 
pression  of  what  I  think  to  be  an  impracticable 
plan.  People  of  this  country  have  been  united 
too  long,  and  it  has  become  so  much  a  part  of  each 
man's  constitution,  that  no  one  can  think  with 
patience  of  disunion.  In  regard  to  church-going, 
I  have  still  an  indifference  to  the  subject.  .  .  . 
Skepticism  seems  prevalent  upon  all  subjects,  and 
men  hold  on  to  forms,  thinking  them  most  real,  or 
at  least  that  reality  must  greatly  depend  on  them. 
When  I  go  anywhere  I  attend  W.  H.  Channing's  l 

1  William  Henry  C  banning,  son  of  Francis  D.  Channing,  a  man  of 
great  eloquence,  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  famous  "  Brook 
Farm." 


192  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

services  to  the  "  Associationists." l  My  confidence  is 
in  that  idea  of  cooperation  which  is  brought  for 
ward  by  the  Socialists.  A  dawn  of  a  new  empire  is 
seen  in  that  beautiful  thought,  and  did  I  not  believe 
in  the  main  doctrines  of  the  "  Associationists/'  I 
should  feel  that  this  world  was  a  God-forsaken  spot. 

In  June,  1849,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  accompanying 
Agassiz  upon  one  of  his  trips  about  Vineyard  Sound  and 
Buzzard's  Bay.  Freed  from  the  strain  and  turmoil  of 
city  life,  the  trip  was  one  in  which  my  father  could  satisfy 
to  the  full  his  love  of  nature  and  of  science. 

EXTRACT  FROM   JOURNAL. 

OFF  GAY  HEAD,  VINEYARD  SOUND. 
Tuesday,  June  26,  1849. 

On  Saturday  night  at  ten  p.  M.,  at  the  invitation 
of  Captain  Charles  Davis,  of  the  Steamer  Bibb, 
U.  S.  Surveying  Ship,  I  set  sail  on  one  of  the 
pleasantest  excursions  I  have  ever  had.  The  Bibb 
is  an  iron  steamer,  with  every  comfort  and  luxury  on 
board,  and  engaged  in  the  coast  survey.  The  ex 
cursion  was  made  especially  for  the  purpose  of 
dredging  around  the  Vineyard  Sound  and  Buzzard's 
Bay,  and  for  discovering  what  evidence  there  is  of 
animal  life  in  the  depths  of  these  waters.  Agassiz 
and  I  are  the  sole  guests,  for,  although  Professor 
Pierce,  Ingersoll,  and  Charles  Mills  were  invited, 
they  have  been  unable  to  be  here,  and  therefore 
have  lost  some  of  the  finest  hours  of  life.  During 

1  A  body  of  social  reformers  largely  influenced  by  Fourier,  and  out 
of  whose  efforts  the  "  Brook  Farm  movement  "  grew. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  193 

Saturday  night  we  had  a  fine  run ;  and  although  un 
accustomed  to  sea  life,  and  troubled  occasionally  by 
a  dream,  I  arose  early,  refreshed,  and  found  that  we 
were  running  with  fine  even  sea  along  the  interior 
of  Cape  Cod.  We  had  sunk  two  or  three  dredges, 
but  without  much  success ;  and  finally,  after  doubling 
the  cape,  we  arrived  off  Nantucket  about  four  p.  M. 
I  was  much  surprised  at  its  appearance,  as  in  fact  I 
have  been  at  the  aspect  of  all  the  towns  along  the 
shore,  Chatham,  Truro,  Holmes'  Hole,  and  Edgar- 
town.  There  was  a  much  more  substantial  aspect 
than  I  expected.  As  the  houses  spread  along  the 
shore  to  a  great  distance,  and  as  they  were  white 
with  green  blinds  and  well  kept,  they  gave  an  air  of 
activity  and  energy  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants 
which  I  had  not  anticipated.  Huge  ships  loomed 
up,  evidently  intended  for  long  whaling  voyages, 
and  neat  boats  were  seen  lying  on  the  beach,  even 
of  the  rudest  portion  of  the  land.  Our  captain, 
finding  it  necessary  to  send  a  boat  ashore  in  order 
to  communicate  with  other  captains  on  the  station, 
I  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  and  went  ashore 
and  called  upon  my  father's  friend,  Mr.  Mitchell. 
He  told  me  that  I  resembled  every  year  more  and 
more  my  sainted  parent.  Would  to  God  that  I 
might  imitate  him  more  in  soul  and  noble  intellect 
ual  exertion.  Sometimes  I  long  for  what  seems  un 
attainable,  —  that  to  his  name  I  may  be  able  to  add 
somewhat  of  fame. 

I  was  able  to  stay  but  a  short  time,  and  returned 
and  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  and  evening  in  micro- 


194  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

scopical  observations  of  the  various  beautiful  objects 
our  dredges  had  brought  up,  although  by  no  means 
so  rich  as  those  procured  yesterday.  I  had  also 
a  fine  talk  with  a  young  midshipman,  Jones,  who, 
by  his  enthusiasm  in  his  profession,  proved  that 
even  the  profession  of  arms  may  be  ennobled  by 
gallant  enthusiasm.  We  remained  at  anchor  dur 
ing  the  night,  and  at  four  A.  M.  the  anchor  was 
"  piped  up  "  by  our  boatswain,  and  we  had  a  fine 
run  down  to  Holmes'  Hole.  Here  our  first  lieu 
tenant,  Rogers  of  New  York,  quitted  us  to  return 
home  for  a  season,  in  order  to  bring  his  wife  to 
the  station.  The  few  words  he  let  drop  in  refer 
ence  to  her  showed  that  they  were  united  most 
perfectly.  After  breakfasting  we  weighed  anchor, 
and  prepared  for  a  thorough  dredging  of  the 
Sound ;  and  a  most  perfect  day  of  exquisite  scientific 
delight  I  experienced.  Agassiz  found  several  new 
specimens  of  mollusca  and  microscopic  objects,  ova, 
etc.,  without  number,  and  of  surpassing  beauty. 
He  literally  skipped  with  delight,  and  his  round, 
open,  benevolent  face  sparkled  with  pleasure  as  each 
new  treasure  came  to  view.  All  the  buckets  on 
board  ship  were  put  in  requisition,  and  in  one  we 
had  crabs  and  shell-  [fish]  of  every  form,  jumping 
and  creeping  in  every  way ;  but  the  fairest  and  most 
unique  object  for  Agassiz's  heart  was  a  live  coral. 
He  had  never  seen  it.  It  had  never  been  seen  in 
Massachusetts.  It  was  certainly  a  most  beautiful 
creature.  Perfect  in  its  outline  and  tints,  we  could 
see  it,  after  watching  it,  project  the  most  delicate 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  195 

tentacles,  which  spread  over  the  surface  of  the  solid 
material  a  perfect  mass  of  velvet.  It  was  quite 
fragile,  and  needed  a  frequent  change  of  water.  But 
though  this  was  interesting,  everything  was  almost 
equally  so.  The  hours  flew  by  as  rapidly  as  thought, 
and  were  constantly  loaded  with  beauty  that  spoke 
to  me  of  divine  workmanship,  like  the  Hours  in 
Guido's  "  Aurora." 

My  whole  being  harmonizes  with  nature  :  perfect 
health,  a  clear,  transparent,  balmy  atmosphere,  and 
pure,  scientific  research  into  a  new  world  of  the 
Almighty,  and  all  in  company  with  such  a  man  as 
Agassiz.  He  was  kind  to  me  as  an  old  friend,  and 
I  called  him  to  the  microscope  frequently,  and  fre 
quently  heard  him  exclaim  :  "  Qu'il  est  beau  !  "  and 
once  or  twice  he  called  his  assistant  to  make  draw 
ings  of  what  I  had  displayed. 

We  dredged  five  or  six  times,  and  I  was  struck 
with  the  variety  we  found.  In  some  parts  the  whole 
bottom  seemed  composed  of  living  creatures,  shells 
of  all  sizes,  but  of  one  or  two  chief  species.  For 
example,  by  calculation  we  decided  that  we  drew 
up  on  one  occasion  five  thousand  specimens  of  the 
Crepidula  Fornicata.  On  another  place,  on  the 
contrary,  we  found  but  two  specimens,  but  they 
were  both  new  to  Agassiz. 

In  the  afternoon  we  landed,  and  had  a  most  plea 
sant  walk  around  Gay  Head,  a  very  peculiar  point 
which  crops  out  with  streaks  of  various  colored  clay 
to  the  ocean.  A  Salvator  Rosa  might  make  a  mag 
nificent  picture  of  its  rough  side,  beaten  by  dashing 


196  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

waves,  and  worn  down  by  the  rains  of  centuries. 
At  times  the  points  arose  in  somewhat  Alpine  aspect, 
but  sublimity  is  certainly  not  a  feature  in  our  coast. 
In  the  evening  we  studied  the  phosphorescent  aspect 
of  the  water,  and  found  the  water  teeming  with  little 
shrimps  and  medusce.  Agassiz  had  two  years  ago 
seen  the  phosphorescent  powers  of  the  former,  and 
he  showed  me  the  nervous  system,  which  he  told  me 
was  the  phosphorescent  part  of  the  frame.  It  was 
red,  and  is  excited  to  action  by  being  disturbed ; 
hence  seen  in  the  wake  of  ships.  Analogy  suggested 
to  me  a  fanciful  idea :  that  we  may  see  an  illustra 
tion  of  the  same  influence  of  the  nervous  power  in 
man  and  the  lower  animals,  in  the  bright  eye  of  the 
cat,  and  the  flashing  of  the  same  in  man  and  woman 
when  under  the  influence  of  passion,  either  of  love 
or  anger.  How  beautiful  and  how  fascinating  the 
human  eye ! 

AT  THE  WHARF  AT  EDGARTOWN,  MARTHA'S  VINEYARD. 
Wednesday  Morning. 

We  as  usual  had  a  most  delightful  trip  yesterday. 
After  weighing  anchor  from  Gay  Head  in  Manomet 
Bight,  we  stood  out  a  little  towards  the  sea,  and 
under  the  influence  of  its  swell  I  came  very  near 
losing  my  breakfast;  and  after  dredging  once  or 
twice  in  nine  or  ten  fathoms,  and  finding  little 
to  interest  us,  we  returned  to  Buzzard's  Bay  and 
there  spent  the  day.  The  wooded  island  of 
Naushon  looked  beautifully  afar  off,  and  the  main 
shore,  dotted  here  and  there  with  pretty  villages, 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  197 

the  fresh  and  pure  air,  the  bright  day,  health 
running  through  all  my  veins,  the  presence  of  a 
thoroughly  scientific  man,  as  Agassiz  is,  all  com 
bined  to  make  me  sincerely  happy.  We  found, 
during  the  day,  several  new  species  of  medusce  of 
exquisite  formation,  new  and  undescribed  ova,  un 
known  even  by  name  to  Agassiz.  I  studied  under 
his  care  the  cell's  development ;  and  in  the  ova  of  the 
young  shrimp  saw  cells  nucleated  and  nonnucleated, 
and  in  fishes  in  one  serial  course  of  growth.  In 
fact,  two  things  I  had  forcibly  impressed  upon  me ; 
viz.,  first,  that  nature  is  teeming  with  life,  and 
second,  that  it  needs  educated  eyes  like  those  of 
Agassiz  to  discover  it.  He  did  not  seem  to  touch 
anything  without  finding  something  curious.  The 
most  uninteresting  waters  became  prolific  of  beau 
tiful  forms  under  his  touch.  Then,  too,  his  extreme 
kindness  and  open-hearted  frankness  in  calling  us 
to  partake  of  the  views  he  was  seeing !  He  did  not 
seem  to  enjoy  [them]  until  he  obtained  some  com 
panion.  He  was  engaged  in  showing  me  the  cells 
of  the  cor  da  dorsalis  of  a  young  shrimp  when  a  cry 
of  "  Man  overboard "  met  our  ears.  We  were 
lying  at  Edgartown  and  it  was  about  ten  p.  M.  We 
ran  to  the  bow  of  the  vessel  and  found  that  it  was 
but  too  true.  A  youth  about  sixteen  years  old,  and 
the  sole  support  of  a  widowed  mother,  to  whom 
he  had  transferred  all  his  month's  wages  before 
the  sailing  of  the  boat  from  Boston.  He  was  one 
of  those  attached  to  the  engine,  and  had  come  up 
to  cool  himself  in  the  fresh  evening  air.  Lolling 


198  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

on  one  of  the  ropes  near  the  bow,  he  fell,  and  sank 
to  rise  no  more.  He  was  not  found  until  next 
morning.  I  was  pleased  at  the  thought  of  how 
readily  everything  yields  to  the  calls  of  humanity. 
We  all  ran ;  the  sailor  bustling  and  energetic,  the 
quiet  and  calm  officer  of  the  man-of-war,  the  earnest 
scientific  man,  with  sympathy  in  his  countenance, 
the  curious  boy  —  all  were  there  in  aid  of  humanity. 
For  hours  the  sailors  dragged,  and  the  curious  looked 
on.  Finally  one  by  one  dropped  away  and  all  was 
over. 

A  boy  fishing  from  the  wharf  this  morning  raised 
the  body.  Poor  mother  ! 

EDGARTOWN  HARBOR. 
Thursday  Morning,  June  28,  1849, 

We  lay  here  at  the  wharf  all  day  yesterday,  and 
a  most  delightful  day  we  had  of  it.  In  the  morning 
we  took  a  walk  along  the  shore  and  met  with  ill 
luck.  We  were  seeking  worms,  and  Agassiz  seemed 
to  have  an  unerring  instinct  in  discovering  them. 
We,  however,  found  but  one,  as  the  tide  was  too 
high.  On  our  return,  we  studied  the  ova  of  a  fish 
which  we  found  in  great  quantities  by  the  side  of 
the  vessel  in  the  early  morning  before  the  wind  rose 
and  disturbed  the  surface.  I  was  able  to  trace  an 
ovum  from  the  earliest  form  up  to  the  perfect  animal, 
and  the  cell  development  was  perfect.  In  truth,  my 
microscope  revealed  what  Agassiz's  drawings  and 
lectures  had  revealed  before.  The  whole  forenoon 
was  spent  on  these.  In  the  afternoon  we  examined 
the  different  parts  of  the  medusce,  some  species  of 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  199 

which  were  very  beautiful.  I  saw  cells  everywhere. 
I  saw  cells  alone  contract  without  fibres.  I  saw 
fibres,  some  of  which  certainly  seemed  composed  of 
cells  en  rosaire.  This  Agassiz  had  never  seen  before. 
By  the  bye,  Agassiz  has  discovered  no  less  than  two 
new  genera,  and  six  new  species  of  the  medusce. 

But  the  various  episodes  of  slight  talk  that  I  had 
with  the  chief  guest  and  Captain  Davis  and  lieuten 
ants  !  "  Humboldt's  '  Kosmos ' "  (said  the  first),  "  all 
admire*  It  is  eminently  suggestive,  as  are  all  his 
works.  It  is  great  in  its  noble  generalizations.  It 
is  not  weak  in  any  of  its  details.  Every  man  should 
attempt  to  do  thoroughly  one  thing,  to  become  ac 
quainted  with  one  genus,  as  it  were,  as  a  term  of 
comparison.  I  should  have  no  opinion  on  the 
mammalia  in  comparison  with  what  would  be  given 
by  others.  It  may  seem  immodest,  but  it  is  true 

that 's  opinion  of  the  radiata  is  of  no  weight. 

If  Mr.  Peirce  were  not  a  modest  man,  he  would  say 
that  Sir  John  Herschel  should  have  no  opinion  on  a 
high  theoretical  point  in  mathematics.  The  conti 
nental  observers  would  not  think  anything  of  what 
he  might  say.  On  practical  astronomy  he  is  the 
highest  authority.  The  same  rule  holds  good  in 
art  and  morals.  A  man  should  study  the  Venus  as 
the  highest  illustration  of  one  genus,  viz.,  physical 
beauty ;  the  Madonna  of  Raphael  as  another  genus, 
moral  beauty.  He  should  study  the  Hercules  for 
physical  strength ;  the  Apollo,  for  intellectual 
strength.  Having  studied  these  thoroughly,  he  will 
find  himself  much  better  able  to  judge  of  all  works 


200  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

of  art.  So  it  is  with  character.  Study  the  lives 
of  men  remarkable  for  peculiar  traits,  and  you 
will  be  able  to  judge  of  men  in  general  much 
better."  I  asked  him  if  he  had  ever  seen  Laura 
Bridgman.  "No,  because  if  I  once  went  to  see 
her  I  should  spend  three  months  in  studying  every 
thing  about  her ;  for  the  same  reason  that  when 
going  to  England  I  did  not  turn  aside  to  see  the 
Ley  den  gallery,  for  if  I  had  done  so  I  should  have 
been  detained  there  six  months."  I  asked  him 
about  studying  by  experiment  the  principle  of  life. 
"  We  are  not  prepared  to  do  so.  We  must  study 
all  forms  and  development  of  forms  before  we  can 
approach  to  understanding  this.  If  any  naturalist 
would  visit  the  Mammoth  Cave,  live  in  it  a  year, 
trace  all  the  different  changes  in  the  life  of  the 
sightless  fishes,  etc.,  there,  and  then  bring  them  up 
to  life  and  observe  the  effects,  we  should  have  the 
most  perfect  illustration  of  the  influence,  or  other 
wise,  of  physical  agents  on  man,  and  the  naturalist 
would  immortalize  himself.  The  earlier  one  pub 
lishes  a  book  the  better."  Speaking  of  Portia,  he 
said,  "  Oh,  how  glorious  a  character,  —  bright,  kind, 
earnest !  "  Thus  passed  another  day  (most  fair)  of 
my  life.  .  .  . 

In  the  steamer  Massachusetts  I  returned  to  New 
Bedford,  and  by  railroad  to  Boston.  I  spoke  with 
him  about  my  paper  presented  to  the  Academy.  I 
told  him  I  understood  it  was  to  be  submitted  to  him, 
and  that  I  hoped  that  no  feeling  of  friendship  would 
prevent  exact  truth  in  regard  to  me.  He  said  that 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL  201 

the  only  way  truly  to  raise  the  standard  of  science 
was  a  rigid  subjection  of  every  paper  to  the  criticism 
of  those  acquainted  with  the  subject,  so  that  any 
one  would  judge  of  his  own  rank  by  their  decision. 
There  are,  or  should  be,  two  ranks  of  men  of  sci 
ence.  First  and  highest  was  the  class  of  discoverers 
of  great  laws,  such  as  Schwann.  Owen  has  never 
added  anything  really  great  to  science,  though  an  in 
defatigable  worker.  His  "  Odontography  "  was  only 
an  improvement  of  others'  ideas.  Men  must  work 
and  do  something,  otherwise  no  one  is  considered  a 
truly  scientific  man.  He  seemed  to  think  our  men 
too  much  disposed  to  look  to  England.  The  Conti 
nent  thinks  nothing  of  their  reputation  in  England. 
We  do  not  value  our  own  sufficiently  when  a  thing 
is  well  done.  Dana's  book  on  "  Zoophytes  "  is  the 
finest  in  the  world  ;  yet  he  doubts  not  that  any  one 
having  occasion  to  quote  on  zoophytes  will  quote 
some  continental  or  English  observer. 


CHAPTER  X 

WILLIAM  AND  ELLEN  CRAFT?S  ESCAPE  —  SHADRACH's 
RESCUE RENDITION    OF    SIMS LETTERS 

1850-1851 

IN  1850  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  passed,  an  act 
which  exasperated  the  North  to  the  highest  pitch  against 
the  horrors  of  slavery.  The  enactment  of  this  law  and 
its  consequences  gave  a  tremendous  impetus  in  the  next 
ten  years  to  the  almost  inevitable  result,  —  the  Great 
Rebellion  of  1861.  My  father's  journals  and  letters 
written  during  this  period  reflect  not  only  his  own  deep 
sense  of  the  infamous  nature  of  this  kind  of  legislation, 
but  that  of  all  who  worked  with  him  in  denouncing  both 
the  law  and  its  supporters. 

Up  to  the  very  last  days  of  his  life  my  father  spoke  in 
no  measured  terms  of  what  he  deemed  the  perfidy  of 
Daniel  Webster,  who,  at  the  last  hour,  after  giving  assur 
ances  of  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  liberty  and  the  defeat  of 
the  bill,  suddenly  astounded  and  disappointed  all  those 
who  were  anxiously  awaiting  the  effect  of  his  words  in 
Congress  by  telling  the  North  that  "  they  must  conquer 
their  prejudices"  and  accept  the  measure.  From  that 
time  forward,  no  argument  or  excuse  could  convince  my 
father  that  Webster  had  done  other  than  prostitute  his 
"  God-like  intellect "  for  sordid  ends ;  and  ever  after,  the 
least  attempt  to  eulogize  the  memory  of  the  man  would 
bring  forth  a  blaze  of  indignant  protest  against  what  he 


WILLIAM  AND  ELLEN  CRAFT'S  ESCAPE        203 

deemed  the  worship  of  intellect  at  the  expense  of  morality, 
—  a  protest  which,  once  heard,  could  never  be  forgotten. 
In  his  "  Thirty  Years'  War  of  Anti-Slavery  "  he  thus 
expresses  himself :  — 

In  1850  the  whole  country  was  aroused  by  the 
various  encroachments  of  the  slave  power  and  the 
opposing  protests  of  the  anti-slavery  animus  which 
was  rising  generally  in  the  North.  It  was  not,  how 
ever,  strong  enough  to  prevent  the  adoption  of  the 
infamous  Fugitive  Slave  Bill  introduced  by  Mason 
of  Virginia,  and  the  absolute  humiliation  of  Web 
ster  in  his  7th  of  March  speech,  hoping  thereby  to 
gain  the  presidency.  This  great  intellect,  devilish 
in  its  [lack  of]  morality,  was  almost  worshiped  by 
most  people  in  the  North.  .  .  . 

At  the  time  of  preparing  for  his  7th  of  March 
speech,  he  wrote  to  his  intimate  friend,  J.  T.  Steven 
son,  Esq.,  to  know  "  how  far  he  could  go  in  behalf 
of  freedom  and  be  sustained  by  the  North."  The 
reply  was,  "  Take  the  highest  ground  in  behalf  of 
freedom ; "  and  when  the  hour  for  Mr.  Webster  to 
speak  had  arrived,  Stevenson  said  to  my  brother 
(J.  I.  B.),  at  his  office  in  State  Street,  "  Oh,  how 
Webster  is  giving  it  now  to  Southern  insolence  !  " 
So  entirely  had  Webster  deceived  and  wheedled  even 
his  best  friends  !  His  speech  was  a  mighty  downfall 
for  him  and  to  most  of  them,  shocked  as  they  were 
by  it.  His  support  of  the  "  Compromise  Measures," 
the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  his  telling  us  to  "  conquer 
our  prejudices,"  and  support  all  those  damnable 
proceedings,  aroused  in  us  all  the  utmost  distress 


204  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

and  opposition.  We  were  prepared  to  do  almost 
anything  but  tamely  submit  to  the  carrying  back  of 
the  slave,  but  we  had  no  organization  to  meet  such 
an  event. 

A  meeting  was  held  in  Faneuil  Hall,  Charles  Fran 
cis  Adams  presiding.  Fred.  Douglass,  Theodore 
Parker,  Wendell  Phillips,  and  others  addressed  it. 
Daniel  Webster,  from  the  steps  of  the  Revere  House, 
had  told  us  we  must  obey  a  law  that  was  to  punish 
severely  with  fine  and  imprisonment  any  one  helping 
a  slave  to  escape.  Samuel  Eliot  (my  old  companion 
in  the  walk  up  Court  Street  at  the  time  of  the  Gar 
rison  mob),  M.  C.,  voted  for  the  infamous  statute. 
I  wonder  what  his  descendants  think  of  him  in  com 
parison  with  the  noble  "  Old  Man  Eloquent's  "  do 
ings  in  those  days  ?  Excitement  was  everywhere, 
both  North  and  South  ;  but  slavery  ruled  the  hour, 
and  our  Northern  representatives  and  senators,  with 
few  exceptions,  bowed  before  it. 

In  his  Journal,  many  years  later,  he  again  alludes  to 
what  he  deems  Webster's  treachery. 

I  see  that  one  speaker  lately  in  his  eulogium  upon 
Webster  has  made  him  out  to  be  like  a  great  Hebrew 
prophet  —  a  would-be  leader  of  a  great  people  who 
forsook  his  counsels  and  preferred  civil  war.  If  that 
were  indeed  the  case,  I  thank  God  that,  for  human 
ity's  sake,  to  all  time  our  Northern  souls  preferred 
even  that  to  a  vast  slave  empire,  when,  as  Calhoun 
once  said  to  Everett,  "  We  intend  to  sell  our  slaves 
if  need  be  at  Bunker  Hill." 


WILLIAM  AND  ELLEN  CRAFT'S  ESCAPE        205 

The  first  important  episode  following  the  enactment  of 
the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  the  escape  from  Boston  of 
"William  Craft  and  his  wife  Ellen,  in  which  my  father  took 
an  active  part.  He  thus  describes  it  in  his  manuscript.1 

WILLIAM  AND   ELLEN   CRAFT. 

In  1850  the  romantic  escape  of  William  and  Ellen 
Craft  occurred.  The  story  of  their  escape  from  the 
South  is  full  of  dramatic  romance,  almost  incredible 
at  first  thought.  These  main  facts  are  undoubtedly 
true ;  viz.,  she  was  a  delicate,  almost  white,  quadroon 
girl,  with  simple  ladylike  manners,  when  I  met  her 
after  her  arrival  at  the  North.  She  was  evidently 
tinged  with  some  high  blood  of  the  South.  He  was 
a  tall,  manly-looking  person,  with  a  deep  but  sweet 
voice,  and  though  quite  dark  enough  to  pass  for  a 
slave,  had  a  certain  self-poised  dignity  about  him, 
and  Caucasian  rather  than  Negro  features.  During 
their  escape,  Ellen  passed  as  the  invalid  young  mas 
ter,  who  needed  a  stalwart  negro  to  assist  her  on  her 
journey.  Personating  these  two  characters,  they 
reached  Boston,  and  having  done  so,  prepared  their 
little  home.  He  worked  at  his  trade  as  a  cabinet 
maker.  Everything  went  well  and  safely  till  one 
fatal  morning  news  came  that  the  minions  of  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law  were  preparing  to  lay  their 
fangs  upon  them.  Instantly  all  of  us  Abolitionists 
were  alive.  I  went  to  his  shop  and  found  him  pre 
pared,  according  to  the  principles  of  Patrick  Henry, 
to  have  "  Liberty  or  Death  "  to  his  pursuers  if  need 

1  The  Thirty  Years'  War,  chapter  v. 


206  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

be.  He  determined  that  he  would  not  fly  !  He 
consented  that  I  should  take  Ellen  to  Brookline,  to 
the  house  of  a  true  Abolitionist  (Ellis  Gray  Loring) 
who  I  knew  would  open  his  house  and  his  heart  to 
the  panting  fugitive.  Ellen,  however,  was  above  the 
common  run  of  person.  She  gained  courage  from 
the  circumstances  and  bold  behavior  of  her  husband. 
It  was  Saturday  night,  but  we  anticipated  trouble 
during  the  following  week  for  William.  Ellen,  of 
course,  was  concealed  where  she  was  ;  but  Craft  was 
at  his  bench  with  his  plane  and  saw,  and  the  addi 
tion  of  a  heavily  loaded  "  horse-pistol  "  upon  the 
bench  with  his  tools  of  trade.  He  declared  that  he 
would  shoot  any  one,  law  officer  or  not,  who  should 
attempt  to  lay  hold  of  him  to  carry  him  again  into 
slavery.  I  must  say  that  I  admired  his  pluck  and 
gloried  in  it,  while  at  the  same  time  I  feared  that 
courage  would  be  of  no  avail  against  the  blood 
hounds  of  the  slavery-ridden  South. 

It  was  understood  that  warrants  were  ready.  Still 
no  attempt  was  made.  It  seemed  as  if  there  was 
prudence,  if  not  a  little  cowardice,  on  the  part  of  the 
officers ;  or,  perchance,  there  was  a  certain  respect 
for  the  manliness  thus  displayed.1 

The  week  passed  without  interruption.  On  Satur 
day  evening  I  said  to  him,  "  Well,  it  is  of  no  use 

1  Sometimes  a  secret  humanity  on  the  part  of  the  officer  induced 
him  to  give  notice  to  his  victim.  The  story  is  told  that  one  officer  called 
on  a  slave  and  told  him  that  he  had  a  warrant  for  his  arrest,  and 
that  he  should  come  the  next  day  at  a  certain  hour,  at  which  the  run 
away  would  be  prepared  to  be  taken  !  Of  course  the  slave  had  sev 
eral  hours  thus  given  him  to  fly  towards  the  North  Star. 


WILLIAM  AND  ELLEN  CRAFT'S   ESCAPE         207 

for  you  to  stay  on  defense  here  to-morrow,  for  cer 
tainly  the  writ  will  not  be  served  on  Sunday.  Let 
me  take  you  in  my  buggy  to  where  your  wife  is,  and 
you  can  spend  a  quiet  Sabbath  wjth  her."  I  would 
say  that  during  the  week  my  brother  William  had 
given  him  a  fine  revolver.  "  Doctor/'  said  Craft, 
"  I  will  go  with  you  provided  you  will  use  this  pis 
tol  "  (putting  a  small  one  into  my  hand  at  the  mo 
ment)  "  upon  any  one  who  shall  propose  to  arrest 
me.  I  shall  carry  my  pistol  and  revolver,  and  shall 
certainly  use  them  if  necessary."  Here  was  a  con 
tingency  I  had  not  thought  of,  but  I  thank  God 
that,  though  not  a  little  shocked  at  the  idea  of  my 
possibly  killing  a  human  being,  I  remembered  the 
saying,  which,  though  not  intended  probably  to  be 
quoted  on  such  an  occasion,  I  deemed  most  fitting 
in  its  application  to  me ;  viz.,  "  to  do  for  others 
what  you  wish  done  for  yourself ; "  and  feeling  that 
if  I  were  Craft  I  should  glory  in  slaying  any  one 
who  attempted  to  make  me  or  my  wife  a  slave,  I  re 
plied  instantly,  "  Yes,  I  accept  your  proposition."  I 
thought  it  possible  that  it  might  be  the  last  meet 
ing  the  two  would  have  in  this  world,  and  I  wanted 
them  to  spend  the  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  rest  from 
their  toil.  Fortunately  no  interruption  occurred. 
We  drove  over  the  Mill-Dam  (now  Beacon  Street), 
and  the  only  person  we  saw  was  the  toll  man  at 
the  toll  house,  situated  just  below  Charles  Street.1 

1  The  Public  Garden  did  not  then  exist.  The  Back  Bay  was  then 
composed  of  water  and  swamp  land,  across  which  the  Mill-Dam  ran 
connecting  Beacon  Street  with  Brookline.  Beacon  Street  extended 
only  a  short  distance  beyond  Charles  Street. 


208  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Carrying  the  small  Craft  pistol  (now  in  the  "  Memo 
rial  Cabinet  "  *)  in  my  right  hand,  I  drove  with  my 
left.  Craft's  hands  were  occupied  with  his  "  blunder 
buss  "  and  revolver,  one  in  either  hand.  Together 
we  might  have  shown  a  pretty  smart  fight,  and  my 
little  pistol  loaded,  as  I  subsequently  found,  with 
three  buckshots,  would  have  done  its  share.  Thrice 
happy  am  I  now  that  we  had  no  call  for  defense,  for 
after  paying  the  toll  man  we  met  not  a  soul  on  our 
way  to  Brookline. 

Leaving  Craft  happy  with  his  little  wife,  I  re 
turned  to  Boston.  Of  course  all  my  movements  in 
regard  to  them  were  done  with  the  greatest  secrecy. 
I  told  Craft  that,  as  he  was  determined  to  stand  his 
ground  at  his  shop,  I  would  drive  out  on  Monday 
morning  and  bring  him  in  to  town. 

The  drive  seemed  to  me  quicker  than  ever  before, 
and  "  Fanny  "  (dear  old  animal,  how  I  learned  to 
love  her !)  never  went  more  gallantly  than  on  that 
journey.  I  arrived  nearly  at  the  end  of  the  Mill- 
Dam  when  I  saw  a  man  tramping  cheerily  along 
towards  me,  and  apparently  munching  an  apple  with 
great  satisfaction,  and  to  my  surprise  I  found  it  was 
Theodore  Parker.  He,  too,  had  been  informed  of 
the  danger,  and  immediately  had  driven  out  in  a 
carriage,  and  had  ordered  William  and  Ellen  to  be 
sent  to  his  own  house  in  Exeter  Place.  There  they 
remained  until  they  finally  took  refuge  in  England. 
For  two  weeks  Mr.  Parker  "  wrote  his  (my)  sermon 

1  A  Memorial  Cabinet  made  in  memory  of  his  son,  to  be  referred 
to  later. 


WILLIAM  AND  ELLEN  CRAFT'S  ESCAPE        209 

with  a  sword  in  an  open  drawer  under  his  (my)  ink 
stand,  and  a  pistol  in  the  flap  of  the  desk,  loaded 
and  ready  with  a  cap  on  the  nipple."  On  their  leav 
ing  Boston  he  gave  William  a  sword,  and  told  him 
of  his  manly  duty  to  defend  the  life  and  liberty  of 
Ellen ;  and  he  gave  them  both  a  Bible.1  These  facts 
show  how  our  people  generally  were  gradually  being 
"  wound  up  "  to  deeds  to  which  they  were  all  unused. 
Rootlets,  in  fact,  they  were,  to  prepare  us  for  the 
civil  war,  of  the  near  approach  of  which  we  were  all 
unconscious. 

But  aU  through  the  North  the  work  went  bravely 
onward,  and  stirring  towards  liberty. 

The  following  letter  was  written  in  response  to  an  in 
vitation  to  dine  with  Mr.  H.  W.  Torrey's  club,  during 
the  foregoing  episode. 

BOSTON,  October  28, 1850. 

FRIEND  TORREY,  —  I  thank  you  for  your  invita 
tion  to  the  "  Club,"  but,  pardon  me,  I  cannot  attend 
any  convivial  meeting  until  the  slave  hunter  has 
been  driven  from  Boston.  I  should  be  ashamed  of 
myself,  and  traitor  to  my  highest  principles,  if  I  did 
not  spend  every  leisure  hour  in  plotting  how  that 
infamous  law,  prepared  by  the  late  Congress,  can  be 
defeated.  I  go,  if  need  be,  for  open  resistance ;  and 
for  my  support  I  appeal  to  that  God  to  whom  our 
fathers  appealed  in  the  dark  hours  of  the  Revolu 
tion.  I  am  amazed  that  such  men,  as  some  whom  I 
know,  can  for  a  moment  consent  that  that  tyrannical 
law  should  be  executed  in  Boston.  Samuel  A.  Eliot 

1  Vide  Appendix  (b.) 


210  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

and  Daniel  Webster  have  done  more  towards  de 
moralizing  this  community,  in  regard  to  all  law,  than 
has  ever  been  done  before.  They  have  made  thou 
sands  appeal  to  that  higher  law  of  nature  and  of 
God,  which  tells  us  that  man's  liberty  should  not 
be  dealt  with  in  a  trifling  manner.  As  I  find  that 
many  who  are  loudest  in  defense  of  the  proposition 
to  sustain  the  law  know  nothing  of  its  wicked  and 
tyrannical  provisions,  I  send  you  a  few  copies  of  it, 
with  the  appeal  adopted  by  the  fugitive  slave.  Will 
you  give  them  to  the  gentlemen  present  ?  I  shall 
thus  be  with  you  in  spirit,  and  much  more  effectu 
ally  shah1  I  be  present  at  the  convivial  table  than  if 
I  should  appear  in  person.  Let  them  read  thought 
fully,  and  with  minds  duly  sensible  of  the  importance 
of  human  liberty,  a  jewel  of  much  higher  value  than 
human  life.  Let  me  beg  of  all  my  friends  to  consider 
the  appeal  as  coming  directly  from  William  and  Ellen 
Craft.  Let  them  bring  up  before  them  the  image 
of  a  delicate,  refined  woman,  one  capable  of  taking 
her  station  by  the  side  of  any  female  in  our  land, 
one  who,  even  in  her  delicacy,  performed  an  act  of 
heroism  in  her  escape  from  Southern  bondage  equal 
to  anything  heroic  ever  done  by  any  of  our  fore 
fathers  ;  an  act,  the  necessity  of  which,  should  cause 
a  blush  of  shame  to  tingle  through  the  cheeks  of  the 
degenerate  sons.  Let  them  imagine  this  young 
woman  kneeling  and  begging  them  to  read  thought 
fully  and  prayerfully  that  appeal  and  that  accursed 
law,  and  then  determine  whether  she  shall  be 
spurned  from  the  land  of  Samuel  Adams  and  of 


WILLIAM  AND  ELLEN  CRAFT'S  ESCAPE         211 

Warren.  Still  further,  let  them  go  with  me  to  the 
dwelling-place  of  her  husband ;  let  them  scan  with 
me  his  tall,  well-knit,  and  finely-proportioned  form, 
his  perfect  Caucasian  features,  sable  though  they 
may  be,  and  let  them  hear,  as  I  have  heard,  the 
simple  narrative  of  his  life ;  of  how  from  earliest 
years  he  dreamed  of  the  far-off  land  of  liberty ;  let 
them  listen  to  his  struggles  to  arrive  here,  and  then 
observe  his  steady  and  calm  deportment,  and  stern 
resolve  to  die  rather  than  to  flee  ;  let  them  not,  how 
ever,  suppose  that  William  Craft  would  deign  to 
kneel  to  any  poltroon  of  Boston,  or  elsewhere,  who 
doubts  whether  the  law  of  Congress  should  be  set  at 
naught.  He  has  stronger  arguments,  for  all  slave 
hunters  and  their  abettors,  in  the  revolver  that  is 
always  in  his  hand,  and  bowie  knife  that  rests  over 
his  heart.  Let  not  my  friends  think  that  this  is 
mere  bravado  on  the  part  of  William  Craft.  Con 
scious  as  he  is  that  he  stands,  perhaps,  upon  the  verge 
of  a  bloody  grave,  he  yet  remains  tranquil  like  a 
May  morning,  with  a  gentle  smile  to  greet  friends, 
and  a  dagger  to  fight  down  all  foes ;  with  no  tremor 
of  soul,  he  sits  prepared,  like  an  old  Roman,  ready 
for  any  fate,  a  willing  sacrifice  if  need  be  in  behalf 
of  his  oppressed  race  ! 

But  enough.  Ask  me  not,  my  friend,  to  attend 
any  convivial  meeting  when  we  ought  to  be  dressed 
in  mourning  at  the  thought  that  Boston  has  fallen 
so  low  as  to  have  allowed  the  prowling  slave  hunter 
to  have  polluted,  even  for  one  night,  her  soil.  Fare 
well.  Heaven  lead  you  and  all  others  to  think  less 


212  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

of  party  and  more  of  the  sufferings  of  the  poor 
slave. 

Faithfully  yours, 

HENRY  I.  BOWDITCH. 

Written  on  the  back  of  this  letter  are  the  words,  "  Will 
Mr.  Torrey  read  this  letter  aloud  to  the  club  ?  I  wish 
no  concealment  of  the  reasons  of  my  absence."  The  note 
was  not  read,  however,  as  shown  by  the  pencil-written 
words :  "  That  very  afternoon  of  the  day  the  club  met, 
the  rascals  fled,  so  this  letter  was  not  presented." 

The  following  extract  from  his  Journal  relates  to  an 
other  episode  following  the  passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Bill. 

SHADRACH'S  RESCUE.  1 

February  16,  1851. 

Time  has  flown  fast  and  far  since  I  last  wrote. 
To-day  will  ever  be  held  as  a  holy  day  in  my  calen 
dar,  for  another  slave  was  rescued  from  the  fangs  of 
the  slave  hunter  by  a  deed  which  combines  in  itself 
much  moral  sublimity  and  bold  expression  of  personal 
courage  with  a  Falstaff-like  degree  of  absurdity  and 
cowardice.  At  one  o'clock  the  news  came  to  a  poor 
but  quiet  and  industrious  negro,  that  the  boy  who 
had  grown  up  under  his  own  eye  at  Norfolk,  Va., 
and  who  had,  like  himself,  fled  from  slavery,  had 
been  arrested  and  was  then  before  the  Commissioner, 
George  Ticknor  Curtis.  The  hour  (as  he  told  me) 
had  come ;  he  was  doomed  to  rescue  his  friend  or 
die.  Accordingly,  being  faithful  in  all  things,  he 

1  Extract  from  the  Thirty  Years1  War,  etc.,  chapter  v.,  page  59, 
"Shadrach's  Rescue." 


SHADRACH'S  RESCUE  213 

spoke  to  his  master,  John  L.  Emmons,  (God  bless 
him  !)  and  said  that  he  felt  that  he  must  go  and  see 
if  the  story  were  true.  Emmons  bade  him  Godspeed, 
and  the  truth  was  soon  proved  by  sight.  With  his 
own  eyes  he  saw  his  friend  seated  between  two  offi 
cers.  He  returned  and  said  to  his  master :  "  Fare 
well,  you  may  never  see  me  again,"  and  returned  to 
the  oourt-house,  prepared  at  all  hazards  to  rescue 
the  youth.  He  found  a  number  around  the  door. 
They  were  laughing  and  jeering,  though  colored, 
and  his  heart  sank  within  him.  "  My  friends,"  said 
he,  "  this  is  not  the  time  for  laughing  or  talking,  but 
for  acting.  Will  you  follow  me  and  rescue  him  ?  " 
"  Wait  a  little,"  said  they.  "  So  it  has  always  been 
with  you  "  —  "  wait  a  little  longer."  "  Now  is  the 
time.  Let  us  go."  Finally  he  succeeded  in  getting 
two  or  three  to  promise  to  follow,  yet  they  had  no 
plans.  They  had,  however,  a  leader  who  was  quiet 
and  calm  and  full  of  faith.  Unarmed,  he  felt  that 
he  was  to  lose  his  life  or  rescue  his  friend.  The 
means  would  come  as  he  wanted  them.  At  length 
the  court  was  adjourned  till  Monday,  and  the  slave 
was  remanded  to  the  custody  of  the  deputy  marshal, 
Biley.  The  company  was  about  departing  and  one 
of  the  lawyers  was  leaving,  when  the  door  was  sud 
denly  burst  open,  and  in  rushed  the  negroes  in  num 
bers,  our  friend  taking  the  lead.  The  marshal 
seized  him,  and  two  more  fell  upon  him.  They  wres 
tled  together  and  the  negro  was  victorious,  and  seeing 
the  sword  of  the  marshal,  which  was  lying  in  the  chair, 
he  drew  it,  and  beckoning  to  the  prisoner  said,  "  Fly, 


214  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

this  moment !  "  The  poor  wretch,  unable  to  under 
stand,  stood  motionless,  his  knees  quivering.  <(  De- 
part,  go  this  way,"  said  our  friend,  motioning  with  the 
sword  and  keeping  off  the  officers  with  it.  "  Give 
me  my  sword,"  said  the  marshal.  "  Be  silent !  stand 
off  ! "  said  our  hero,  again  waving  off  his  antagonists. 

The  minions  of  slavery  crouched  and  fled,  and, 
others  having  come  to  the  rescue,  the  poor  creature 
was  dragged  into  liberty  by  his  victorious  friends. 
Our  poor  hero  was  the  last  to  leave  the  room,  and 
forcing  his  way  through  the  crowd  he  finally  got  his 
young  friend  down  into  Court  Square.  Then  leav 
ing  him  in  the  care  of  friends,  he  quietly  entered 
a  neighboring  shop,  laid  the  sword  on  the  counter, 
and  asked  the  shopkeeper  to  allow  it  to  remain  until 
called  for  by  its  rightful  owner.  Then  returning, 
he  followed  the  crowd,  saw  his  friend  safely  out  of 
town,  and  quickly  returned  to  work  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  I  saw  this  man  this  evening.  My  office 
was  honored  by  his  presence,  for  whenever  a  self- 
sacrificing  hero  comes  under  my  roof  my  house  is 
ennobled ;  but  it  was  not  safe  for  him  to  remain,  so 
we  hired  a  cab,  and  now  he  is  out  of  reach  of  the 
devilish  tools  of  the  diabolical  Fugitive  Slave  Law. 
So  may  it  always  be.  Let  some  bold  friend  be  ever 
ready  to  sacrifice  life,  if  needed,  to  the  holy  cause  of 
liberty ! 

Written  in  pencil  below :  "  Shadrach's  rescuer  has 
never  been  seized  by  the  minions  of  the  law." 

Great  excitement  ensued.  Telegrams  were  sent 
to  the  President  to  know  what  was  to  be  done.  He 


THE  RENDITION  OF  SIMS  215 

issued  a  proclamation  calling  on  all  well-disposed 
citizens,  and  directing  the  military  and  civil  authori 
ties  to  prevent  all  such  deeds  hereafter.  The  Secre 
tary  of  War  and  of  the  Navy  sent  orders  to  their 
subordinates  to  assist.  Mr.  Clay  called  for  informa 
tion  on  the  subject,  and  made  a  furious  speech.  My 
dear  and  honored  friend,  [Lewis]  Hayden,1  was  tried, 
and  although  eleven  of  the  jury  were  for  conviction, 
one  obstinately  refused  to  agree,  and  after  a  time 
the  whole  prosecution  was  dropped,  in  deference,  I 
think,  to  the  silent  but  firm  conviction  of  the  com 
munity  that  Massachusetts  was  not  yet  reduced  to 
sufficient  subserviency  as  to  be  willing  to  convict  so 
great  a  man  engaged  in  so  humane  a  work,  although, 
in  being  so  occupied,  he  broke  the  letter  of  the  law. 
But  we  were  soon  to  have  evidence  of  the  tremendous 
power  of  the  slave  interests. 

EXTRACT  FROM  HIS   JOURNAL,   APRIL  8,  1851.      THE 
RENDITION   OF   SIMS. 

The  times  are  horrible.  For  the  last  week  I  have 
been  living  in  a  fiendish  state  of  existence.  Now  my 
heart  has  been  wrung  with  anguish  at  the  thought 
of  the  suffering  of  the  poor  wretch  confined  as  a 
fugitive,  and  then  my  indignation  has  been  aroused 
at  the  damnable  deeds  of  lawyers  and  clergymen  in 
this  city.  It  is  a  city  without  God,  and  yet  impi 
ously  calls  itself  Christian.  Four  or  five  days  ago 

1  Lewis  Hayden  was  one  of  the  participants  in  the  rescue,  and  his 
house  at  66  Phillips  Street  was  used  as  a  place  of  refuge  for  a  short 
time. 


216  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

news  came  that  a  slave  had  been  arrested,  and  that 
efficient  measures  had  been  taken  for  his  security. 
I  visited  the  court-house,  and  found  that  a  chain  had 
been  drawn  around  it,  and  numerous  police  officers 
were  behind  it,  besides  several  hired  agents,  miser 
able  scoundrels,  who,  for  three  dollars  a  day,  were 
devoted  to  the  cause  of  slave-catching  in  Massa 
chusetts.  One  of  them  .  .  . 

Here  the  Journal  breaks  off  abruptly,  and  begins 
again :  — 

April  13,  1851. 

I  had  written  thus  far  when  I  was  interrupted; 
and  events  have  pursued  each  other  so  rapidly  since 
that  I  have  had  little  time  for  quiet  thought,  much 
less  for  quiet  action;  and  now  on  this  beautiful 
Sabbath  morning,  in  the  quietness  of  an  early  hour, 
I  sit  down  to  write  out  at  least  the  closing  event  of 
the  great  drama  which  has  been  just  finished,  with 
disgrace  to  the  honored  name  of  Massachusetts. 
Suffice  it  for  the  present  to  say  that  the  committee, 
after  having  tried  all  legal,  and  perhaps  some  illegal, 
means  for  the  possible  rescue  of  the  ill-fated  Sims, 
had  most  of  them  retired  to  rest  on  Friday  night  in 
almost  complete  despair,  save  that  their  "  trust  in  the 
Lord  "  kept  them  from  being  wholly  cast  down.  A 
few  of  the  devoted  ones  determined  to  keep  watch 
during  the  night.  Wearied  in  body  and  soul,  I  lay 
down  at  home.  At  three  A.  M.  I  was  summoned  by 
Kemp.  I  knew  not  the  object  he  had  in  view,  but 
feared  that  a  small  band  of  ardent  but  rash  men  were 
about  to  attempt  a  rescue.  I  determined  to  be  there, 


THE  RENDITION  OF  SIMS  217 

and,  whatever  happened,  would  act  according  to  my 
best  judgment.  It  was  a  clear,  cool  morning,  and 
as  I  threaded  my  way  to  the  court-house  everything 
was  as  silent  as  the  grave,  but  on  arriving  at  Court 
Square  I  found  a  different  scene.  There,  by  the 
light  of  one  gaslight,  I  saw  assembled  an  armed 
force  of  one  hundred  policemen  and  about  the  same 
number  of  volunteers  in  behalf  of  slavery.  The  first 
body  was  armed  with  a  straight,  double-edged,  pointed 
Roman  sword.  The  latter  had  less  conspicuous  but 
not  less  deadly  weapons.  The  former  marched  and 
countermarched  with  the  quiet,  staid  demeanor  of  a 
drilled  military  company,  and  the  hoarse  sounds  of 
the  officers  as  they  issued  their  orders  fell  harshly 
on  the  morning  air,  while  the  occasional  whistle  of 
some  one  of  the  volunteers  revealed  a  careless  soul, 
although  the  distinct  view  of  his  features  and  gen 
eral  figure  was  impossible  while  he  paraded  in  the 
shade  of  the  city  "  barracoon,"  as  the  court-house 
had  been  called.  High  up  in  the  third  story  of  the 
building  was  the  light  which  dimly  shone  from  the 
window  of  the  devoted  victim.  I  found  my  friend 
Kemp  in  Court  Street.  I  whispered  to  him  :  "It 
would  be  madness  and  folly,  nay,  downright  wicked 
ness,  to  attempt  a  rescue,  and  thereby  cause  a  vain 
loss  of  human  life."  "  I  did  not  ask  you  to  come 
out  for  that,"  he  replied ;  "  I  am  not  so  much  of  a 
fool  as  to  needlessly  throw  away  my  life  without  the 
remotest  chance  of  doing  good.  I  sent  for  you  be 
cause  I  thought  you  would  like  to  view  the  last  scene. 
Cluer  and  I  and  a  few  others  have  spent  the  night  at 


218  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

the  anti-slavery  office,  and  finding  that  they  began 
to  muster  at  three  o'clock,  I  conclude  that  they  will 
remove  Sims  this  morning."  We  walked  around 
and  met  several  of  our  friends,  and  I  was  struck 
with  the  combination.  Arm  in  arm  with  me  was  one 
of  the  noblest  of  men ;  shrewd,  prudent,  cautious, 
and  yet  bold  and  self-sacrificing,  —  Kemp  ;  a  chair- 
painter  by  trade,  but  a  genial  wit  and  bold  leader 
for  any  cause  requiring  clear-headedness  and  bold 
ness.  He  would  have  made  a  most  witty  boon  com 
panion.  Even  in  the  darkest  hour,  when  every  one 
felt  sad,  Kemp,  even  in  his  reproofs  of  the  submis- 
siveness  of  the  committee,  would  convulse  us  with 
laughter.  Near  him  was  the  gentle  artist,  Furness, 
born  of  a  noble  parentage,  sensitive,  and  shrinking 
with  horror  at  the  sight  of  what  was  about  to  take 
place,  yet  possessed  with  that  courage  and  self-sacri 
fice  which  was  required  of  all  the  true  lovers  of  the 
slave.  Occasionally,  as  we  slowly  paced  the  side 
walk,  we  heard  the  well-known  voice  of  Cluer,  the 
earnest,  sarcastic,  inelegant,  yet  devoted  Scotchman, 
mingling  with  that  of  his  younger  companion,  Rog 
ers,  who,  with  all  the  warm  zeal  of  a  young  heart, 
had  for  years  given  himself  up  to  the  sacred  cause 
of  human  freedom.  Anon  we  came  in  contact  with 
Theodore  Parker,  that  Martin  Luther  of  our  times, 
with  his  stalwart,  strongly  knit  frame.  He  said  little 
in  the  undertones  of  his  deep,  manly,  revolutionary 
voice,  but  we  felt  that  he,  too,  was  stirred  to  his 
utmost  depths.  Phillips,  the  elegant  and  accom 
plished  debater,  the  scholar,  the  true-hearted,  was 


THE  RENDITION  OF  SIMS  219 

not  there.  If  asleep,  we  knew  he  was  dreaming  of 
the  cause,  for  day  after  day  had  we  walked  by  his 
side.  The  great  leader,  Garrison,  was  likewise  ab 
sent,  but  we  needed  not  his  presence  to  convince  us 
of  his  devotion.  Probably  neither  of  them  had  so 
kind  a  friend  as  I  had  in  Kemp.  I  had  forgotten 
to  mention  [William  F.]  Channing,  the  zealous  and 
ever-active  and  sagacious.  He,  with  a  few  more  like 
those  already  named,  and  some  apparently  indiffer 
ent  spectators,  were  all  that  had  congregated  about 
to  witness  the  last  act  of  humiliation  of  Boston  and 
Massachusetts. 

Judge  Shaw  and  his  brethren  of  the  Supreme 
Bench  of  the  State  had  bowed  beneath  the  chains. 
Our  sheriff  Eveleth  had  quailed  before  Southern 
tyranny,  and  now  it  seemed  appropriate  that  Boston 
police,  with  our  city  marshal,1  should  consummate 
the  atrocious  deed.2 

After  walking  about  some  time  and  watching  the 
manoeuvres,  I  determined  to  summon  one  more  to 
the  spot,  in  order  to  make  him  swear,  like  the  young 
Hannibal,  eternal  hostility  to  the  system  of  slavery. 
I  went  home  and  aroused  my  son  Nat,  and  he 
witnessed,  with  all  the  warm  feelings  of  his  young 
heart,  the  whole  deed.  Soon  after  my  return  with 
him,  and  a  quarter  after  four  A.  M.,  the  police  formed 
into  a  hollow  square,  with  double  file  and  closely 

1  Note  written  on  edge  of  page,  dated  August,  1852  :  "  Within 
two  years  both  have  lost  their  offices.     Retributive  justice  !  " 

2  Note  on  edge  of  page  March  5, 1853  :  "  Thank  God,  Devens,  the 
slave  hunter,  and  Lunt,  District  Attorney,  have  gone  likewise  from 
office.     So  perish  all  political  traitors." 


220  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

locked  ranks.  They  then  marched  to  the  eastern 
door  of  the  "  barracoon  "  and  halted.  A  line  of 
police  was  then  extended  from  the  door  to  the 
square.  Marshal  Tukey  appeared  and  spoke  to  his 
men,  reminding  them  of  their  duties,  etc.  Within 
five  minutes  the  City  Watch,  with  their  weapons, 
came  up  and  formed  another  double  file  around 
the  hollow  square,  and  the  volunteers  with  closed 
platoons  arranged  themselves  in  a  long  line  leading 
into  Court  Street.  Very  soon  there  was  a  noise  as 
of  an  opening  of  doors,  and  the  two  main  doors  were 
swung  wide  open,  while  the  prisoner,  closely  guarded 
by  officers,  approached.  It  was  still  quite  dark  and 
I  could  not  see,  but  friends  who  were  near  told  me 
that  tears  were  streaming  over  his  face,  though  he 
walked  without  faltering  on  his  course  toward  his 
Georgia  home,  the  land  of  whips  and  of  servitude. 
All  was  silent  till  he  was  fairly  enclosed  within  the 
ranks  of  the  armed  men  and  the  word  "  March  " 
was  uttered  by  the  rough  voice  of  the  Commander. 
Tukey  and  Devens,  City  and  United  States  Marshal, 
were  there.  Of  the  former,  I  think  it  possible  that 
it  may  be  said  that,  acting  under  orders  from  the 
mayor  and  aldermen,  he  was  compelled  to  do  what 
to  him  was  a  disagreeable  duty.1  The  latter  has 
no  excuse.  Fighting  against  his  own  conscience, 
he  has  overthrown  all  his  better  emotions  in  order 
to  keep  himself  in  office.  May  God  give  him 
peace  ! 2 

1  July,  1852.    I  question  now  if  I  was  well  informed. 

3  [In  spite  of  his  feeling  about  Devens's  action  at  this  time,  my 


THE  MARCH  221 


THE  MARCH. 

At  half  past  four  the  three  hundred  strong  began 
their  slow  and  regular  tramp.  Instantly  a  shout 
arose  of  "  Shame  !  "  "  Infamy ! "  from  various  voices, 
while  others  hissed.  The  troops  turned  into  Court 
Street,  and  proceeded  down  State  Street.  Natty  and 
I,  with  Channing  and  Kemp,  preceded  them,  and  as 
they  drew  near  the  spot  where  fell  Attucks,  the 
colored  man  shot  down  by  the  king's  troops  on 
March  5,  1770,  we  pointed  out  to  those  minions  of 
slavery  the  holy  spot  over  which  they  were  tread 
ing.  Gloomy  and  silent  those  wretched  men  passed 
on,  sacrilegiously  desecrating  by  their  act  this  martyr 
stand  of  the  Kevolution.  All  along  Court  Street 
we  continually  saluted  their  ears  with  our  words  of 
contempt.  "  Where  is  Liberty?  "  says  one.  "  She 
is  dead ! "  cried  another.1  Still  they  tramped  on. 

father,  in  later  years,  changed  his  opinion  when  he  learned  that 
just  before  the  war  Devens  offered  $1800  for  Sims's  freedom,  and 
that  he  later,  as  Attorney-General  in  Washington,  made  Sims  a 
messenger  in  his  Department.  —  ED.] 

1  In  the  Thirty  Years'  War  of  Anti-Slavery,  many  years  later,  he 
makes  this  note  in  speaking  of  the  event :  I  felt  perfectly  free  in 
the  use  of  sarcastic  epithets  loudly  uttered.  On  one  occasion  the 
marshal  stepped  up  to  me  from  behind  and  said,  as  I  stood  upon 
the  sidewalk,  "  Dr.  Bowditch,  you  would  do  well  to  be  more  careful 
of  your  speech.  Every  word  you  have  uttered  this  morning  has  been 
officially  noted."  I  instantly  retorted,  "Marshal  Tukey,  you  may 
do  your  worst,  and  then  we  shall  learn  that  men  cannot  utter  their 
honest  opinions  under  the  brow  of  Bunker  Hill.  It  has  come  to  this, 
has  it  ?  "  And  I  did  not  heed  him,  but  whenever  I  saw  reason  for 
contempt  or  horror  I  uttered  aloud  my  thought,  and  all  others  did 
the  same. 


222  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Ever  and  anon  there  was  no  sound  of  human  voice, 
and  the  regular  beat  of  feet  upon  the  pavement 
struck  wildly  on  the  ear.  Once  I  turned  around, 
when  halfway  down  State  Street,  and  afar  off  in 
the  west,  resting  on  a  line  with  the  spot  above 
alluded  to,  I  saw  a  glittering  planet.  The  morning 
was  just  dawning  and  all  inferior  stars  had  disap 
peared.  I  looked  at  it  with  delight.  I  took  it  as 
the  emblem  of  blessed  hope  which  was  beginning 
to  spring  out  from  the  very  depths  of  my  sorrow. 
A  sweet,  peaceful  confidence  in  God  seemed  to  steal 
over  me,  and  I  prayed,  "  God  help  me."  We  at 
length  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  wharf.  A  body  of 
police  was  there  who  drove  back,  with  drawn  swords 
and  quite  in  the  Austrian  style,  some  of  our  friends 
who  tried  to  go  on  board  of  a  vessel  adjacent  to  the 
brig  Acorn,  which  had  been  fitted  up  for  the  re 
ception  of  the  slave.  The  main  body,  still  in  hollow 
square,  marched  down  and  went  upon  the  deck  of 
the  vessel.  The  scene  at  this  time  was  most  solemn. 
All  was  silent  save  an  occasional  exclamation  of  dis 
gust  which  was  given.  All  the  sails  lay  unfurled 
and  ready  for  sea.  Immediately  the  rattling  of  the 
jib  halyards  commenced,  and  the  white  sail  arose  that 
was  to  carry  back  the  poor  wretch  into  bondage. 
But  the  wind  of  the  Almighty  could  not  be  de 
pended  on.  The  steamer  Hornet  lay  alongside, 
and  instantly,  certainly  within  two  minutes,  the  two 
piratical  vessels  were  moving.  The  last  words  the 
slave  uttered  were,  "  And  is  this  Massachusetts  lib 
erty?" 


THE  PRAYER  223 


THE  PKAYEB. 

As  the  vessel  glided  away  a  stranger  and  a  cler 
gyman  got  upon  some  article  of  merchandise  and 
proposed  that  all  friends  of  the  slave  should  join 
with  him  in  religious  services  for  the  departing 
missionary  of  liberty.  With  my  whole  heart  I 
sprang  towards  the  spot,  and  there,  with  heads  un 
covered,  under  the  broad  expanse  of  heaven,  and 
with  the  light  of  morning  just  breaking  over  the 
water,  that  stranger  offered  a  prayer  that  touched 
all  our  souls.  We  felt  the  need  of  prayer ;  nay,  we 
felt  that  on  that  only  could  we  rest.  For  a  week, 
night  and  day,  we  had  labored  in  vain,  and  now 
that  all  was  finished,  we  fled  to  the  God  of  justice 
and  humanity.  Under  the  arms  of  the  clergyman 
were  clustered  the  rough  Presbyterian,  the  rigid 
Catholic,  the  liberal  Unitarian,  the  youthful  skep 
tic,  and  all  influenced  by  one  and  the  same  spirit 
of  prayer.  After  we  had  finished,  a  hard-featured 
man,  whom  I  had  seen  working  at  all  times  for  days 
before,  but  who  never  seemed  like  one  given  to 
prayer  or  praise,  begged  that  we  might  sing.  Spon 
taneously,  then  arose  Bishop  Heber's  "Missionary 
Hymn."  We  then  walked  up  State  Street  together, 
and  stopped  on  the  spot  where  Attucks  fell.  After 
wards  we  adjourned  to  No.  21  Cornhill.1  I  was 
chosen  chairman.  (Shall  I  confess  it  ?  I  never  felt 
so  blessed  as  when  that  true  band  thought  me  worthy 
to  preside  over  their  deliberations.)  I  had  addressed 

1  The  anti-slavery  office. 


224  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

them  at  the  wharf  in  a  very  few  words,  much  as 
follows :  "  Friends,  let  me  say  what  is  uppermost  in 
my  thoughts.  From  the  very  blackness  of  the  deed 
just  consummated,  I  gain  a  lofty  hope  that  the  last 
slave  has  been  carried  from  Massachusetts.  Those 
who  have  engaged  in  this  wicked  work  are  in  their 
hearts  now  already  half  converted,  and  ere  long  will 
be  with  us."  I  then  alluded  to  the  effects  which  the 
light  of  the  planet  had  produced  on  me.  When  at  the 
office,  I  said,  "  Friends,  we  have  met  to  devise  some 
suitable  plan  for  celebrating  this  dreadful  event.  If 
I  may  be  allowed  to  express  my  inmost  thoughts,  I 
would  say  that  we  have  naught  left  us  now  but  to 
pray."  I  struck  a  chord  which  vibrated  in  the 
hearts  of  all.  A  committee  was  chosen  to  make  ar 
rangements  for  religious  services  in  the  evening. 

So  terminated  (we  parted  at  six  A.  M.)  one  of  the 
most  remarkable,  and  at  the  time  one  of  the  most 
damnable,  deeds  that  have  been  enrolled  upon  the 
history  of  Massachusetts. 

The  historian  of  the  country,  in  tracing  the  in 
fluence  of  slavery,  will  not  fail  to  note,  as  a  signifi 
cant  landmark  of  progress,  the  fact  that  a  poor  slave 
was  carried  under  the  custody  of  three  hundred  men, 
through  State  Street,  with  its  historical  associations ; 
but  he  will  likewise  note  the  fact  that  none  dared 
carry  him  save  at  that  early  hour,  while  trampling 
over  Massachusetts  laws.  It  was  done,  likewise,  by 
Boston  police,  headed  by  the  city  marshal. 

Fastened  into  the  leaves  of  his  Journal,  in  the  midst  of 
the  account  of  the  return  of  Sims  to  slavery,  appears  a 


EXTRACT  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL  225 

newspaper  clipping,  taken  from  "  The  Commonwealth,"  of 
the  date  Wednesday,  September  24,  1851,  containing  the 
following  quotation  from  the  "Boston  Courier,"  and 
marked  by  my  father. 

"  If  a  physician  is  eagerly  running  about  town  to  help 
break  the  laws;  if  we  hear  of  his  offering  money  to  a 
jailor  to  let  one  of  his  prisoners  go  free ;  if  he  is  secre 
tary  of  noisy  political  meetings ;  if  he  makes  speeches  in 
the  streets,  we  do  not  ask  him  to  come  and  see  us  when 
we  are  sick.  He  has  too  many  great  irons  in  the  fire, 
and  we  cannot  afford  to  run  the  risk  of  having  our  small 
one  burn." 

On  the  opposite  page  of  the  Journal  are  written  these 
spirited  words,  typical  of  his  character :  — 

I  insert  this  communication.  The  passage 
marked  alludes  to  me.  It  explains  well  enough  why 
I  am  not  favored  by  a  certain  class  of  my  fellow- 
citizens.  I  have  made  two  solemn  vows :  1st,  I  will 
live  or  die  in  Boston,  and  practicing  my  profession 
here  or  nowhere.  2d,  I  will  always  have  an  opin 
ion  on  any  subject,  and  express  that  opinion  when 
and  where  I  choose.  Any  who  think  to  prevent  me 
from  doing  either  the  one  or  the  other,  I  think  will 
be  mistaken. 

EXTRACT  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL. 

April  20,  1851. 

All  has  been  quiet  since  the  ill-fated  Acorn 
sailed  with  the  unhappy  slave  aboard.  I  am  free  to 
confess  that  anything  but  a  Christian  spirit  has  ex 
isted  in  my  bosom  in  regard  to  her.  I  believe  that 
I  have  not  been  alone,  however,  in  the  wish,  which, 


226  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

in  spite  of  holier  thoughts  that  should  have  inspired 
us,  has  been  at  times  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  a 
vast  number  of  men  and  women  in  Massachusetts. 
Twenty-four  hours  after  the  Acorn  left,  one  of 
the  severest  storms  ever  known  commenced  its  havoc 
on  our  shores.  Hundreds  of  people  were  over 
whelmed  in  their  cellars ;  goods  were  destroyed, 
railroads  washed  away ;  the  lighthouse  on  Minot's 
Ledge  was  utterly  annihilated.  Amid  all  these 
things  a  silent,  sometimes  half-expressed,  at  others 
boldly-avowed,  wish  has  arisen ;  that  the  accursed 
bark  and  its  wretched  crew  might  be  cast  away  or 
founder  wholly  in  the  open  sea.  I  could  n't  help 
feeling  sorry  that,  as  yet,  we  have  no  news  of  dis 
aster  to  her.  I  strove  against  it;  but  whether  I 
would  or  not,  the  horrid  thought  insinuated  itself, 
even  while  endeavoring  to  overcome  all  vindictive 
feeling  by  revolving  in  my  mind  the  divine  princi 
ples  of  forgiveness,  alluded  to  by  some  early  philo 
sophers,  but  first  fully  brought  out  to  man  by  the 
directions  of  Jesus  when  he  said :  "  I  say  unto  you, 
Forgive  your  enemies  and  pray  for  them  that  de- 
spitefully  use  you  and  persecute  you."  This  morn 
ing  I  awoke  uncomfortable  with  thoughts  similar 
to  the  revengeful  thoughts  above  alluded  to.  Soon 
I  had  an  experience  such  as  I  have  never  had  before, 
and  I  record  it  as  marking,  I  trust,  an  era  in  my 
existence.  I  have  at  various  times,  when  in  pro 
fessional  trial,  mentally  exclaimed :  "  God  help  me 
to  cure,  or  give  me  peace  in  case  my  efforts  are  in 
vain."  This  morning,  however,  while  the  spirit  of 


LETTER  TO  MISS  MARY  RIGNALL  227 

revenge  was  uppermost  in  my  mind,  I  reverted  to 
that  scene  where  the  dying  Christ  calls  on  his 
Father,  and  my  Father,  in  tones  of  deep  pity  : 
"  Father,  forgive  them ;  they  know  not  what  they 
do  !  "  And  with  the  thought  arose  immediately 
that  of  prayer  for  help  and  guidance  by  His  divine 
love.  And  I  did  pray  vocally,  and  sweet  peace,  such 
as  I  could  not  have  otherwise  obtained,  stole  imper 
ceptibly  over  my  soul.  I  ceased,  a  better  and  wiser 
man.  In  analyzing  the  effect  produced  by  this  sim 
ple  act,  I  recognize  that  the  only  result  is  a  sen 
sation  of  entire  trust  in  the  Almighty,  and  a  quiet 
belief  that,  by  his  mysterious  power,  good  would 
come  even  from  the  crucifixion  of  thousands  of  holy 
martyrs,  and  that  he  could  educe  out  of  the  atrocious 
deed  just  committed,  and  even  from  the  very  wicked 
ness  of  Sims' s  persecutors,  fountains  of  eternal  good 
to  the  human  race.  God  grant  that  the  peace  I  am 
sensible  of  having  gained  under  the  sweet  influences 
of  prayer  may  not  be  lost  upon  me,  but  that  in  all 
future  trials  of  life  I  may  be  enabled  to  look  heaven 
ward  and  find  consolation  and  an  immortal  hope. 

TO  MISS  MART  RIGNALL. 

BOSTON,  April  9,  1851. 

Your  letter  struck  a  chord  that  had  been  vibrating 
in  my  own  bosom  ever  since  this  first  news  of  the 
arrest  of  Sims.  I  felt  almost  from  the  first  the  utter 
powerlessness  of  man,  and  my  heart  would  at  times 
(when  I  was  near  the  court-house  or  in  my  own  closet, 
or  while  briskly  threading  my  way  through  the 


228  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

crowded  streets)  arise  in  prayer  to  the  Crucified  One 
who,  eighteen  centuries  since,  spoke  to  the  world 
those  holy  principles  which  the  accursed  fugitive  slave 
law  is  now  striving  to  root  out  of  the  hearts  of  our 
people.  Some  of  those  moments  of  secret  longings 
for  the  dear  Christ  have  been  most  precious  to  me. 
Yet  I  have  never  prayed  vocally.  I  "  rest  in  the 
Lord/'  for  he  will  do  justly ;  but  I  have  no  faith 
that  any  prayer  of  mine  can  influence  that  Divine 
Being.  ... 

I  feel,  in  my  heart,  that  we  know  not  what  a  day 
may  bring  forth.  I  am  not  disposed  to  be  super 
stitious,  but  I  know  that  with  the  strong  expressions 
used  at  the  meeting  last  night,  clashing  against 
Southern  influence,  led  onward  by  Northern  [il 
legible],  we  may  have  a  struggle  that  may  end  only 
with  the  sacrifice  of  life. 

John  W.  Browne  says,  "  Slavery  needs  a  sacrifice, 
and  it  can  never  be  driven  from  Massachusetts  save 
by  the  blood  of  a  victim."  I  feel  not  as  he  does  ; 
I  hope  for  peace,  and  trust  in  the  God  of  peace. 
Nevertheless  I  bide  my  time,  and  I  shall  go  if  ne 
cessary  from  the  court-house  to  the  prison  ship  or 
cars,  and  bear  my  testimony  against  the  unholy 
deed,  come  what  may.  God  bless  and  keep  you.  I 
am  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  writing  to  you.  It 
has  enabled  me  to  express  what  I  have  often  wished, 
to  one  in  whom  I  had  confidence,  my  faith  in  the 
dear  Father  God  and  His  Son  Christ.  Some  men 
call  me  infidel.  You  will  not  think  me  so. 

Let  me  now  ask  one  favor  which  may  seem  to 


LETTER  TO  MISS  MARY  RIGNALL  229 

you  strange,  or  at  least  inappropriate.  I  feel  that 
these  hours  are  a  revelation  of  myself  to  myself.  I 
would  willingly  do  good  with  them  to  my  children. 
May  I  ask  you  therefore  to  preserve  this  letter  with 
that  I  wrote  years  ago  from  the  country,  and  when 
I  am  gone,  and  the  voice  of  their  father  no  more 
can  reach  them,  let  these  words,  written  on  one  of 
the  great  occasions  of  his  spiritual  life,  be  seen  by 
them.  And  may  God  grant  that  they  may  be  en 
couraged  thereby  to  trample  under  foot  all  low  and 
petty  considerations  of  worldly  interests,  when  these 
latter  clash  with  their  sense  of  duty  to  God  and  to 
humanity. 

Again  I  ask  God's  blessing  on  you, 

Ever  most  truly  yours, 

H.  I.  B. 


CHAPTER  .XI 

PARACENTESIS 

MY  father's  journals  are  so  filled  with  the  exciting  in 
cidents  of  his  anti-slavery  work  that,  were  it  not  for  the 
enduring  proof  of  his  industry  in  other  directions,  it  would 
be  but  natural  to  suppose  that  his  professional  work 
suffered  in  consequence.  That  it  did  not  was  doubtless 
due  to  the  fact  of  his  intense  love  for  it,  and  his  deter 
mination  that  all  other  calls  upon  his  time  must  be  made 
of  secondary  importance ;  to  his  ability  to  rest  by  change 
of  work  and  thought,  in  whatever  direction,  and  lastly,  to 
his  remarkable  power  of  concentration,  which  he  inherited 
from  his  father. 

As  an  instance  of  this  trait :  at  the  breakfast-table  it 
was  a  common  occurrence  for  him  to  take  up  the  morning 
paper,  and  in  a  moment  to  become  so  absorbed  in  some 
article  which  interested  him,  that  ordinary  attempts  to 
attract  his  attention  were  useless. 

He  often  pursued  work,  requiring  the  closest  attention, 
at  the  library  table,  undisturbed  while  members  of  his 
family  were  talking,  laughing,  or  singing  about  him. 
Even  the  noise  of  children  playing  happily  near  him 
seemed  to  give  him  pleasure  when  writing  or  reading.  At 
the  least  sign  of  discord,  however,  all  work  was  at  an  end, 
and  the  malefactors  were  given  to  understand  that  per 
mission  to  remain  near  him  was  only  upon  condition  of 
good  behavior. 

At  this  very  period  (1850),  a  turning  point  in  the  his- 


PARACENTESIS  231 

tory  of  slavery  in  America,  he  was  endeavoring  to  persuade 
the  profession  that  the  operation  of  paracentesis  thoracis 
(tapping  of  the  chest  to  remove  accumulations  of  fluid) 
was  not  only  necessary  to  save  life  in  many  cases,  but  was 
attended  with  little  or  no  danger  if  carefully  done. 

From  the  time  of  Hippocrates,  opening  of  the  chest 
wall  in  such  cases  by  means  of  an  incision  was  known  and 
practiced  occasionally ;  but  it  was  not  until  the  middle  and 
latter  part  of  the  last  century  that  the  operation  of  aspira 
tion  of  the  chest,  by  means  of  a  small  tube  and  suction 
pump,  was  introduced.  The  success  of  the  operation,  its 
comparative  simplicity,  and  its  almost  universal  use  at  the 
present  time,  is  largely  due,  according  to  the  testimony 
of  eminent  professional  men  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic, 
to  the  untiring  zeal  of  my  father,  who  called  the  atten 
tion  of  the  profession  to  the  operation  as  frequently  per 
formed  by  himself  after  1850.  He  forced  his  opinion 
upon  the  medical  world  for  years,  in  the  face  of  the  in 
evitable  strong  opposition  that  is  sure  to  meet  every  re 
form,  until  satisfied  that  the  profession  at  large  were  con 
vinced  of  the  truth  of  his  views.  Eminent  surgeons  in 
Boston,  with  the  exception  of  John  C.  Warren,  whose 
name  my  father  always  mentioned  with  gratitude  and  re 
spect,  looked  upon  the  operation  with  marked  disfavor, 
not  to  say  distinct  opposition.  He  even  had  to  fight  the 
opinion  of  his  beloved  and  revered  former  master  in 
medicine,  Dr.  James  Jackson,  who  believed  that  all  pleu 
ritic  effusions  would  eventually  be  removed  by  natural 
processes,  provided  there  were  no  serious  complications. 
One  of  the  most  prominent  practitioners  of  Philadelphia 
stated  that  "he  would  as  soon  send  a  bullet  into  the 
chest  as  plunge  a  trocar  into  it." 

With  my  father's  confessed  lack  of  ability  and  desire 
to  practice  surgery  himself,  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  con 
vince  others  of  the  correctness  of  his  views,  although  for 


232  HENRY  1NGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

several  years  he  had  been  trying  to  persuade  his  surgical 
associates,  not  only  to  operate  much  more  frequently,  but 
to  adopt  a  simpler  method  than  that  in  vogue  at  that 
time,  which  caused  not  only  intense  suffering,  but  was 
attended  with  much  danger  to  life.  Doubtless  his  zeal 
would  have  carried  him  to  the  point  finally  of  performing 
the  first  operation  himself,  had  not  a  friend  and  fellow 
practitioner,  with  an  instrument  of  his  own,  after  consulta 
tion  with  my  father,  successfully  aspirated  the  chest  of  a 
patient  suffering  with  chronic  pleurisy.  To  Dr.  Morrill 
Wyman  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  my  father  always  gave  the 
credit  of  having  performed  the  first  operation  by  this 
method,  and  in  after  years  he  never  failed  to  refer  to  this 
fact  with  his  characteristic  love  of  truth  and  generosity 
when,  after  repeated  operations  and  medical  papers  upon 
the  subject,  his  name  became  associated  with  paracentesis 
as  the  inventor. 

He  never  claimed  that  he  was  the  first  to  suggest  the 
idea  of  removing  fluid  from  the  pleural  cavity.  In  his 
published  papers  he  refers  to  the  fact  that  Trousseau, 
in  the  forties,  advocated  the  measure,  and  that  Messrs. 
Hughes  and  Cock,  of  London,  published  cases  in  1844. 
Up  to  the  time  of  Dr.  Wyman's  case,  however,  the  oper 
ation  had  been  done  by  the  usual  surgical  incision.  Dr. 
Wyman's  aspirating  trocar  left  no  wound,  and  gave  com 
paratively  little  pain  for  a  few  moments  only.  It  remained 
for  my  father  to  convince  the  medical  world  that  the  oper 
ation  was  an  innocuous  one,  to  be  performed  immediately 
in  any  case  where  distressing  symptoms  occurred,  and  not 
to  be  left  "  as  a  last  resort "  in  extreme  cases. 

During  his  life  he  aspirated  the  chest  over  300  times, 
without  a  single  fatal  result  from  the  operation,  in  most 
cases  giving  infinite  relief.  To  his  persistence  in  giving 
to  the  profession  his  results,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
at  the  present  day  hundreds  of  lives  are  saved  and  thou- 


PARACENTESIS  233 

sands  are  relieved  from  great  suffering.  From  having 
been  a  strictly  surgical  procedure,  before  the  invention  of 
the  aspirating  needle  and  suction  pump,  it  is  now  one  of 
the  simplest  operations  and,  with  a  few  precautions,  can  be 
performed  by  any  medical  practitioner. 

My  father  was  never  one  to  quarrel  about  priority  of 
claim  in  such  matters.  He  was  singularly  free  from  petty 
jealousy,  and  more  than  ready  to  give  credit  to  another 
when  credit  was  due.  His  sole  desire  in  this  matter  as  in 
others  was  that  truth,  as  he  believed  it,  should  be  given 
to  the  world,  and  to  that  end  he  worked  body  and  soul. 

In  writing  an  article  entitled  "  Diseases  of  the  Pleura  " 
for  Pepper's  "  System  of  Medicine"  of  1885,  Dr.  Frank 
Donaldson,  of  Baltimore,  gives  ample  credit  to  Dr.  Wyman 
and  my  father,  and  alludes  to  them  as  the  "  suggester  " 
and  "  utilizer  "  of  "  Thoracentesis  "  and  as  "  benefac 
tors  of  the  race." l  In  a  note  upon  this  article,  my  father 
writes,  "  I  give  thanks  for  my  life,  if  that  be  so,  to  the 
Being  who  governs  all,  and  by  whose  laws  I  have  been  led 
and  enabled  to  work." 

A  few  years  after  my  father  had  given  his  views  pub 
licly,  Dieulaf  oy  of  France  published  similar  results  ;  but 
for  reasons  best  known  to  himself  he  ignored  completely 
the  published  papers  of  my  father,  made  claim  to  the  in 
vention  of  aspiration,  and  placed  his  excellent  instrument 
before  the  world  as  the  first  of  its  kind.  My  father  never 
contested  this  claim  in  print,  and  only  occasionally  alluded 
to  it,  among  those  most  intimate  with  him,  with  an  air  of 
amusement.  It  remained  for  others  to  assert  his  claims, 
as  shown  by  the  tribute  given  him  by  his  warm  friend,  Pro 
fessor  William  T.  Gairdner,  of  Glasgow,2  who  was  one  of 
the  first  to  cordially  greet  him  in  Europe  and  take  interest 

1  History  of  Thoracentesis,  by  F.  Donaldson.     Pepper's  System  of 
Medicine.     1885,  pp.  586-597.     Lea  Bros.,  Philadelphia. 

2  Later  Sir  William  T.  G-airdner  of  Edinburgh. 


234  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

in  the  operation  which  my  father  earnestly  advocated.  In 
the  touching  memoir  which  Professor  Gairdner  wrote,  after 
his  friend's  death,  for  the  "  Edinburgh  Medical  Journal  " 
in  April,  1892,  he  uses  these  words :  — 

"  The  writer  was  thoroughly  attracted  at  the  time  (1859) 
not  only  by  what  appeared  to  him  an  eminently  noble 
personality,  but  also  by  the  narrative  of  successful  results 
in  the  treatment  of  pleuritic  effusions  by  the  method  of 
what  was  then  called  *  Suction,' l  although  under  the  more 
pretentious  name  of  'Aspiration'  it  came,  many  years 
later,  to  be  made  a  '  boom  '  in  Paris,  without  the  slightest 
reference  to  the  first  employment  of  the  method  in  Amer 
ica.  Dr.  Bowditch  was  even  then,  although  in  the  prime  of 
life  and  vigor,  by  no  means  a  young  man,  and  the  steady, 
persistent,  and  indeed  brilliant  work  he  had  done  in  con 
nection  with  this  subject  deserved  a  better  fate  than  to  be 
lost  sight  of  amid  the  struggles  for  eclat  of  a  young  French 
hospital  physician,  not  at  all  careful  as  to  what  had  been 
done  before  him.  Dr.  Bowditch  made  converts  in  Edin 
burgh  in  those  days,  and  at  least  two  of  the  hospital  staff 
began  to  use  thoracentesis  by  suction  from  that  time  on 
wards.  One  of  the  two  is  the  writer  of  these  lines,  and 
Dr.  Bowditch  has  been  known  to  say  that  Dr.  Budd  of 
King's  College,  London,  and  the  present  writer  were  the 
first  in  this  country  to  adopt  the  improved  procedure." 

1  "  Dr.  Bowditch  always  attributed  the  invention  of  this  and  the 
appropriate  instrument  to  Dr.  Morrill  Wyman  of  Cambridge,  Mass., 
who  performed  his  first  thoracentesis  by  suction  in  1850.  But  neither 
Dr.  Wyman  nor  Dr.  Bowditch  seem  to  have  cared  to  put  in  a  claim 
of  priority,  although  at  the  date  of  a  most  interesting  and  lucid  let 
ter  to  the  author  of  this  notice,  bearing  date  May  22,  1862,  no  fewer 
than  150  operations  had  been  performed  upon  eighty-five  persons, 
and  with  remarkably  favorable  results.  See  Clinical  Medicine  :  Ob 
servations  recorded  at  the  Bedside,  with  Commentaries.  Edinburgh  : 
Edmonston  and  Douglas,  1862,  Appendix,  p.  717.  Dieulafoy's  first 
publication  on  the  method  of  aspiration  appears  to  have  been  in  1870." 


PARACENTESIS  235 

Not  long  after  the  operation  performed  by  Dr.  Wyman, 
my  father  began  his  investigations  upon  the  relation  of 
soil  moisture  to  consumption,  a  work  upon  which  he  was 
engaged  for  ten  years  before  he  published  his  results,  and 
which  made  him  famous  in  the  medical  world.  This  will 
be  referred  to  more  fully  in  'a  subsequent  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XII 

LIFE    AT    WESTON THE    WHITTIER     SUN-DIAL 

1851-1856 

IN  1851  my  father  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Weston, 
Mass.,  very  near  Auburndale  and  Riverside,  the  now 
well-known  lovely  resort  upon  the  Charles  River. 

The  house  was  a  typical  specimen  of  the  old-fashioned 
New  England  farmhouse,  charmingly  situated  in  a  large, 
undulating  field  dotted  here  and  there  with  fine  old  shag- 
bark,  oak,  and  chestnut  trees,  and  with  a  foaming  brook 
rushing  through  the  meadow  behind  the  house,  on  its  way 
to  join  the  river  not  far  distant. 

Around  this  lovely  spot  cluster  many  of  the  happiest 
recollections  of  his  whole  family.  The  term  "  dear  Weston 
home,"  given  it  by  one  of  his  children,  and  transcribed  in 
the  big  family  Bible  as  the  birthplace  of  his  youngest  son, 
was  ever  a  synonym  of  the  peace  and  happiness  of  a  country 
home,  away  from  the  turmoil  of  city  life. 

Unfortunately  my  father  was  unable  to  retain  the  place, 
which  became  very  dear  to  his  heart,  more  than  three  or 
four  years ;  but  during  that  time,  in  the  summer,  he  brought 
his  family  there  and  went  to  the  city  each  day,  returning 
for  the  night. 

It  was  his  delight  to  work  upon  the  old  house  and  its 
surroundings,  whether  in  making  a  trellis  over  the  porch 
to  support  a  new  vine,  a  seat  fashioned  out  of  roots  and 
gnarled  branches,  placed  under  some  trree,  or  a  rustic  fence 
along  the  edge  of  the  road.  All  this  gratified  his  love 


LIFE  AT  WESTON  237 

of  mechanical  work,  and  gave  additional  charm  to  the 
place. 

Within  the  house,  his  efforts  to  make  the  home  more 
attractive  were  ably  seconded  by  my  mother,  whose  love 
of  country  life  was,  if  anything,  even  stronger  than  his. 
With  her  own  hands  she  papered,  simply  but  tastefully, 
the  walls  of  the  low-studded  rooms ;  and  throughout  the 
house  evidences  of  her  skill  gave  the  interior  an  atmosphere 
of  a  charming  home  never  to  be  forgotten  by  her  family 
or  friends. 

Delightful  to  his  children  are  the  memories  of  the  pic 
nics  under  the  big  chestnut,  in  the  wood  opposite  the  old 
house ;  of  their  running  to  meet  him  in  the  evening  in 
answer  to  his  whistle,  "  Lift  my  lady  over  the  lea,"  as  he 
came  from  the  train ;  of  the  archery  tournaments  on  the 
lawn,  in  which  the  family  of  Dr.  John  Ware  and  others 
took  part,  the  big  straw  target  with  its  canvas  face  and 
golden  "bull's-eye"  being  the  chief  attraction  to  the 
children.  A  vivid  picture  still  is  "  Johnny  Stimson,"  a 
thin,  cadaverous  old  man,  who  lived  not  far  away  in  a 
shaky  old  house,  with  a  rude,  open  fireplace,  tall  iron 
"  fire-dogs,"  and  a  musty  garret  filled  with  shagbark  nuts. 

"  Johnny  Stimson  "  had  a  sense  of  humor,  as  shown 
by  the  following  anecdote.  My  father  was  busily  engaged 
one  day  in  making  a  rustic  fence  near  the  road  as  the  old 
man  passed  by.  "  Makin'  a  fence  to  keep  the  hens  eout, 
Doctor?"  said  the  old  fellow.  "Two-legged  hens,"  re 
plied  my  father  rather  absently.  "  Where  'd  ye  ever  see 
a  four-legged  hen,  Doctor  ?  "  chuckled  Johnny,  as  he  went 
along  the  road.  Poor  old  Johnny  !  He  ended  his  days 
in  the  almshouse  long  ago. 

Pictures  arise  of  the  fat  mare  "  Fanny,"  her  generous 
back  spanned  almost  horizontally  by  the  sturdy  legs  of 
one  of  the  youngest  children,  as  they  jogged  along  the 
country  road  in  a  family  party ;  of  the  calf  whose  f asci- 


238  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

nations  lured  the  youngest  member  of  the  family  to  a 
nearer  acquaintance,  his  advances  being  repelled  by  a 
violent  kick  in  the  stomach ;  of  that  same  obstreperous 
animal,  whose  desire  to  get  back  to  her  food  more  quickly, 
ended  in  dragging  one  of  the  children,  clinging  conscien 
tiously  to  the  other  end  of  the  rope,  across  the  lawn  on 
her  stomach,  in  spite  of  the  screams  of  the  family  to  "  let 
go ; "  then  arises  the  ludicrous  scene  of  my  father  seizing 
the  lamp  one  evening,  and  rushing  out  upon  the  lawn, 
hoping  thereby  to  lure  a  stray  bat  from  the  parlor,  leaving 
my  mother  and  aunt  in  the  dark,  calling  to  him  in  helpless 
terror  to  bring  back  the  light. 

On  Sunday  afternoons  my  father  used  to  come  out 
from  Boston  on  the  one  Sunday  train  of  the  "  Boston  and 
Worcester,"  afterwards  the  "  Boston  and  Albany  "  rail 
road,  to  Riverside.  Here  it  was  one  of  the  pleasures  of 
his  elder  children  to  meet  him  in  the  flat-bottomed  boat, 
made  especially  for  them  by  a  boat-maker  on  the  Housa- 
tonic  River,  an  exact  copy  of  the  one  belonging  to  Dr. 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes.  After  rowing  down  the  river, 
the  family  would  gather  under  the  old  shagbark-tree,  and 
my  father  would  read  aloud  some  selections  from  Mrs. 
Barbauld,  or,  possibly,  one  of  his  favorite  Psalms.  For 
many  years  afterwards  he  used,  even  when  in  the  city,  to 
continue  these  Sunday  readings  ;  but  in  these  observances 
there  never  was  the  least  trace  of  austerity  such  as  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  in  his  early  youth. 

These  and  many  other  memories  recall  the  happy  life  at 
Weston,  the  beginning  of  my  father's  custom  of  spending 
a  few  months  of  each  year  in  the  country. 

It  was  at  "  Brookside "  that  my  father  spent  part  of 
his  convalescence  from  a  severe  illness  following  a  wound 
to  his  finger,  received  when  attending  a  case  of  blood- 
poisoning.  Fortunately  no  bad  results  were  left  from 
this  illness  other  than  a  stiffened  joint  of  the  middle 


LIFE  AT  WESTON  239 

finger  of  his  right  hand.  This  "  stiff  finger  "  was  jocosely 
made  by  him  the  scapegoat  of  many  a  subsequent  accident 
at  the  table  or  elsewhere.  The  overturning  of  a  tea-cup, 
or  the  upsetting  of  a  water-pitcher,  by  some  carelessness 
on  his  own  part,  was  usually  attributed  to  his  offending 
member,  much  to  the  amusement  of  his  family.  The 
mild  expostulation  of  my  mother,  "  Now,  Henry  !  "  when 
he  had  been  guilty  of  some  unusual  carelessness,  was 
usually  met  with  "  Mrs.  Bowditch  "  (with  an  accent  on 
the  title,  a  puckering  about  the  nostrils,  and  a  mischievous 
twinkle  in  his  eye),  "  it  was  my  stiff  finger !  " 

It  was  in  consequence  of  this  illness,  too,  that  my  father 
decided  to  abandon  certain  branches  of  his  profession,  and 
devote  himself  to  a  specialty  of  the  lungs  and  heart,  with 
which  his  name  became  afterwards  associated  ;  thus  fulfill 
ing  the  prophecy  of  one  of  his  fellow  practitioners,  made 
just  after  his  return  from  Europe,  in  1834,  that  he  would 
be  the  one  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  his  old  master  and 
friend,  Dr.  James  Jackson. 

In  1856  my  father  with  great  reluctance  sold  the  farm, 
to  which  he  and  his  family  had  become  so  deeply  attached, 
to  a  friend,  whose  descendants  still  retain  the  place  com 
paratively  unchanged,  although  the  old  house  has  been 
"modernized,"  and  the  foaming  brook  has  been  partly 
walled  up  for  purposes  of  farm  drainage. 

In  1852  he  came  into  possession  of  an  old  silver  sun 
dial,  formerly  owned  by  Dr.  Waterhouse  of  Cambridge, 
a  professor  at  Harvard.  My  father,  after  placing  the 
dial  upon  a  large  copper  disk,  on  which  were  engraved  the 
signs  of  the  Zodiac,  asked  his  friend,  the  poet  John  G. 
Whittier,  for  an  appropriate  verse  to  be  engraved  upon 
the  copper.  In  response  Whittier  sent  the  exquisite  lines 
now  well  known  in  his  books  of  poems,  and  recently  placed 
upon  the  chapel  at  Mount  Auburn. 

The  dial,  with  its  setting,  was  placed  upon  a  solid  ped- 


240  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

estal  made  from  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  remained  at 
Weston  until  the  place  was  sold,  when  it  was  brought  to 
Boston. 

In  later  years,  while  staying  at  Mr.  John  M.  Forbes's 
beautiful  island,  Naushon,  in  Buzzard's  Bay,  he  rather  im 
pulsively  presented  the  dial  to  his  friend  and  generous 
host. 

His  letter  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forbes,  although  written 
several  years  after  this  period,  gives  such  a  graphic  account 
of  the  life  at  Weston,  and  the  history  of  the  old  dial,  that 
I  have  inserted  it  here. 

[Autumn  of]  1866. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  AND  MRS.  FORBES,  —  You  ask  of 
me  a  poem  on  the  occasion  of  the  transfer  of  the 
Whittier  Dial  Plate  to  the  greensward  in  front  of  the 
Mansion  House  at  Naushon.  You  ask  for  an  impossi 
bility,  and  therefore  ask  in  vain ;  but  instead  I  will, 
if  you  please,  give  the  following  — 
True  History  of  the  Origin  of  the  Whittier  Dial 

Plate  and  its  Accompanying  Dial ;  their  joint 

wanderings  and  trials  and  their  future  hopes. 

Some  eighteen  years  ago  I  was  the  fortunate  pos 
sessor  of  a  few  acres  about  twelve  miles  from  Boston, 
at  Weston,  on  the  line  of  the  Worcester  Railroad. 
It  is  a  quiet  country  town,  with  but  little  life  among 
its  inhabitants,  but  within  its  borders  are  some  of 
the  loveliest  of  nature's  quiet  nooks.  In  one  of 
these  our  homestead  was  situated.  We  had  woods, 
land,  and  arable  land,  in  sufficient  quantities  to  make 
us  feel  that  we  owned  something  which  could  not 
all  be  seen  at  one  glance.  The  house  had  been 
built  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  and  resem- 


THE  WHITTIER  SUN-DIAL  241 

bled  that  described  by  Ik  Marvel  in  the  opening 
chapter  of  the  "  Reveries  of  a  Bachelor."  Its  rafters 
were  of  solid  oak,  and  its  huge  fireplace  could  still 
contain  the  grand  old  logs  like  those  around  which 
our  fathers  in  ancient  days  used  to  gather  during 
the  cold  winter  evenings,  before  the  modern  gas  and 
furnaces  had  banished  the  cheerful  blaze,  and  driven 
away  all  the  poetic  associations  that  cluster  around 
the  idea  of  the  family  hearth. 

The  ceilings  were  low,  but  the  rooms  were  suffi 
ciently  capacious.  The  walls  of  the  ample  kitchen, 
when  we  first  took  possession,  were  blackened  by 
time  and  smoke,  and  the  large  hooks  upon  which 
the  good  wives  among  our  predecessors  had  hung 
the  crooked-necked  squash,  or  dried  the  sweet  mar 
joram,  catnip,  and  other  herbs  of  savory  smell  or 
medicinal  nature,  still  retained  their  firm  hold.  So 
firm  were  they,  indeed,  that  it  was  in  vain  to  en 
deavor  to  remove  them,  and  we  were  forced  to  let 
them  remain,  quiet  mementos  of  the  past,  and  fit 
companions  of  the  place,  though  useless  now.  A 
quaint  old  well-stoop  with  its  worn  water-bucket 
greeted  the  visitor  the  first  moment  he  came  within 
sight  of  the  dwelling.  If  thirsty,  he  found  delicious 
and  cool  water.  The  house,  as  was  usual  a  century 
ago,  faced  the  south ;  and  from  its  somewhat  dilapi 
dated  porch  we  could  see  our  little  brook  sparkling 
like  a  thread  of  silver  light,  and  hear  it  rippling  over 
its  pebbly  bottom.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  sweet  was 
the  influence  of  this  little  stream  at  all  times,  when 
just  rising  from  bed  we  snuffed  the  sweet  morning 


242  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

air  from  our  windows,  and  listened  to  its  gentle 
notes.  So,  too,  on  Sundays,  we  could  hear  pleasantly 
the  distant  sounds  of  the  village  church  bell  min 
gled  with  it.  How  at  night  it  spoke  peace  to  us 
who  had  fled  from  the  turmoil  of  city  life  !  It  even 
seemed  to  mingle  with  and  make  beautiful  our 
dreams.  A  short  walk  from  the  house,  and  on  our 
estate,  through  a  wild  wooded  path,  brought  us  to  a 
waterfall  about  ten  feet  high,  which  at  times,  after 
a  sudden  shower,  roared  and  tossed  itself  into  a 
thousand  picturesque  shapes ;  and  yet  it  was  in  min 
iature,  for  so  narrow  was  it  that  even  at  its  wildest 
tumult  there  was  no  real  danger  or  difficulty  in 
crossing  and  recrossing,  if  only  a  little  caution  were 
used  in  stepping  from  stone  to  stone.  But  the  trees 
on  the  place  were  many  and  beautiful.  One  mag 
nificent  and  perfectly  symmetrical  white  pine  stood 
erect  in  the  wood  at  some  distance  from  the  house. 
Under  its  wide-spreading  branches  could  gather  par 
ties  of  a  hundred  people  and  get  shade  from  noonday 
sun  or  shelter  from  rain.  Near  by  were  two  which 
we  named  Paul  and  Virginia.  They  were  tall  and 
slender,  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  high.  Paul  was 
straight  and  firm,  and  had  the  rough  bark  of  the 
common  pine,  while  round  it,  and  fairly  encircling 
it  with  a  spiral  embrace,  was  a  delicate  white  pine 
which  we  named  Virginia.  In  earliest  years  they 
had  evidently  been  united,  and  death  alone  now  could 
separate  them.  The  house  was  situated  on  one  side 
of  a  level  greensward  of  about  two  acres.  On  the 
opposite  side,  and  in  full  view,  just  on  the  edge  of 


THE  WHITTIER  SUN-DIAL  243 

the  road  in  which  were  growing  these  just  described, 
arose  a  majestic  chestnut-tree,  with  a  stem  over  twelve 
feet  in  circumference,  branches  shooting  out  on  every 
side,  some  of  them  perhaps  rather  shorn  of  their 
beauty  and  symmetry  by  the  frequent  stoning  of  the 
village  schoolboys  as  they  passed  it  and  sought  to* 
gather  the  nuts  with  which  it  was  annually  covered. 

But  more  beautiful  than  all  the  rest  was  the  lofty 
and  well-proportioned  shagbark-tree,  which  stood 
just  beside  the  house  and  slightly  shading  it,  and 
just  on  the  edge  of  the  bank  below  which  our  brook 
ran.  How  pleasant  the  spot  at  its  foot  on  some  fair, 
warm  summer  morning !  There  we  could  sit  hour 
after  hour  talking,  reading,  and  working,  listening 
to  the  sound  of  running  waters,  the  song  of  birds, 
the  hum  of  bees,  and  those  other  thousand  voices 
that  are  heard  by  the  listening,  reverential  ear  when 
amid  the  perfect  quiet  of  nature's  works.  It  was 
just  the  place  for  the  reading  of  the  magnificent 
Psalms  of  David. 

"  He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures. 
He  leadeth  me  beside  the  still  waters. 

"  He  restoreth  my  soul." 

It  all  came  naturally ;  and  I  well  remember  the  day 
and  hour  when  nature  so  led  us. 

I  have  thus  narrated  the  characteristics  of  our 
home,  in  order  that  you  may  see  how  the  thought 
might  readily  have  come  to  me  to  have  in  some  form 
a  perpetual  reminder  of  that  Supreme  Being  before 
whom  we  must  all  bow,  at  one  time  or  another  in  our 
lives,  in  utter  submission.  I  sought  for  an  old  dial 


244  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

to  place  in  front  of  the  house,  and  determined  if  I 
could  I  would  persuade  Whittier,  with  whom  I  was 
well  acquainted,  to  give  me  some  motto  that  would 
silently  touch  the  hearts  of  the  children  that  were 
then  growing  up  around  us.  I  remember  the  sig 
nificant  motto  placed  years  ago  on  an  old  dial  at 
Venice,  "  Horas  non  numero  nisi  serenas."  I  liked 
it.  It  suggested  pleasant,  serene  thoughts,  a  little 
stoical  perhaps,  but  nevertheless  useful  to  all  who, 
while  living  through  the  wild  tumult  of  daily  life, 
hardly  comprehend  the  idea  of  serenity  in  connection 
with  it.  So,  after  much  inquiry,  I  heard  that  among 
the  old  things  left  by  the  celebrated  Dr.  Waterhouse 
was  a  simple  dial  reported  to  have  been  brought 
by  the  doctor  from  England,  and  one  of  the  descend 
ants  said  it  was  up  in  the  garret  of  his  house,  and 
that  I  was  welcome  to  it.  I  accepted  it  joyfully  on 
its  own  account,  and  also  because  of  its  possessor. 
He  was,  as  you  know,  an  eminent  man  in  his  day ; 
a  physician  educated  at  the  best  schools  in  Europe, 
a  personal  friend  of  Jenner,  the  immortal  discoverer 
of  vaccination.  Dr.  Waterhouse  was  even  styled 
by  Jenner  himself  "  the  Jenner  of  America,"  be 
cause  he  was  one  of  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first, 
to  urge  vaccination  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  New 
World.  He  was,  on  his  return  to  America,  a  pro 
fessor  in  the  Medical  School,  and  a  practitioner  of 
medicine  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  where  he  died  full  of 
honors  in  1846. 

Having  procured  my  dial,  I  wrote  to  Whittier  my 
wishes,  frankly  stating  that  I  knew  that  true  poetry 


THE  WHITTIER  SUN-DIAL  245 

came  only  from  inspiration ;  that  I  wanted  him  to 
come  and  see  our  pleasant  home ;  and  for  fear  he 
would  not,  I  had  to  describe  its  beauties  and  its  be 
nign  influence  upon  us.  I  spoke  of  the  matter  above 
alluded  to,  and  said  if  his  Muse  ever  led  him  to 
a  thought  upon  the  theme  suggested,  I  wished  he 
would  let  me  have  it.  I  waited  patiently  for  months, 
only  occasionally  suggesting  that  I  had  not  forgotten 
my  original  wish. 

One  day  I  received  the  following,  which  is  the  in 
scription  on  the  plate  placed  this  day  in  front  of  the 
halls  of  Naushon  :  — 

"  With  warning  hand  I  mark  Time's  rapid  flight 
From  life's  glad  morning  to  its  solemn  night ; 
Yet,  through  the  dear  God's  love  I  also  show 
There 's  light  above  me  by  the  shade  below." 

The  lines  seem  to  me,  if  possible,  superior  to  the 
old  Venetian  motto.  This  latter,  though  suggestive 
of  serenity  of  soul  and  bright  hours,  is  perhaps  re 
markably  suggestive  of  a  stoical  indifference  to  all 
others.  It  is  essentially  heathen. 

Whittier's,  on  the  contrary,  would  lift  us  towards 
heaven  even  by  means  of  the  shadows  of  life.  It 
hints  at  least  that  the  great,  the  divine  laws  of  com 
pensation  hold  good  even  in  suffering,  if  we  will  but 
ever  keep  a  simple  faith  in  God's  bounteous  loving 
kindness  ;  so  that  just  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  shadow  will  appear  brighter  light  and  warmth,  if 
we  will  but  open  our  eyes  and  hearts  to  its  genial 
influences. 

I  deemed  the  matter  worthy  of  the  best  plate  I 


246  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

could  get  made  by  the  best  artist  I  could  employ. 
Accordingly  I  called  on  Hammatt  Billings,  whose 
taste  I  deem  better  than  that  of  any  other  artist  in 
our  country  for  such  a  purpose,  and  asked  him  to 
engrave  the  motto  and  Whittier's  initials. 

The  design  was  all  I  could  have  wished.  I  had 
it  engraved  on  a  brass  plate.  I  regret  that  the  signs 
of  the  Zodiac  have  not  been  cut  deeper,  but  if  ex 
amined  attentively  each  will  be  found  well  outlined.1 

Since  you  have  consented  to  receive  the  relic,  I 
have  had  inscribed  below  our  original  design  the 
following :  — 

"  Transferred  to  Naushon 
Sept.  1,  1866." 

So  much  for  its  history. 

I  planted  the  dial  in  front  of  the  homestead,  and 
there  it  remained  about  a  year ;  but  then  fate  com 
pelled  us  to  sell  the  whole  place,  but  the  dial  did 
not  go  with  the  land.  I  took  it  with  me  into  town 
and  there  it  has  remained  in  melancholy  uselessness 
ever  since,  migrating  with  me  from  house  to  house, 
at  first  upstairs  out  of  sight.  We  did  not  want  to 
see  it,  for  it  reminded  us  too  strongly  of  the  pleasant 
spot  that  we  had  left  forever  ;  moreover,  we  had  no 
sun  to  give  it.  Gradually  I  brought  it  down  into 

1  Beneath  the  inscription  by  Whittier  these  words  were  also  en 
graved  upon  the  disc  :  — 

"  Relic  from  old  England 
placed  here  by 
H.  I.  &  O.  B. 
July  17,  1855." 


tttier  i>un--£)ial 


THE  WHITTIER  SUN-DIAL  247 

my  office,  but  it  was  always  in  the  wrong  place. 
Nobody  seemed  to  value  it,  and  I  saw  no  permanent 
abode  for  it.  The  moment  after  reading  the  Nau- 
shon  book  I  said  to  myself,  "  The  long-sought-for 
resting  place  is  found.  If  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forbes 
will  take  it  and  value  it  for  Whittier's  and  Billings's 
sake,  remembering  us  at  the  same  time,  how  grateful 
it  will  be  to  us."  And  so  with  these  hopes  we  com 
mend  it  to  your  kindly  keeping. 
Sincerely  yours, 

HENRY  I.  BOWDITCH. 

My  father  afterwards  regretted  his  rather  impulsive 
act  of  generosity,  feeling  that,  as  Whittier  had  composed 
the  lines  expressly  for  him,  he  should 
never  have  parted  with  the  dial,  even 
when  placing  it  with  such  dear  and 
appreciative  friends.  So  strong  was 
his  desire  that  it  should  some  day  be 
returned  to  his  family,  that  his  oft- 
repeated  wish  was,  in  the  last  year  of 
his  life,  made  known.  Mr.  Forbes, 
with  characteristic  generosity  and  kind 
ness,  returned  the  dial  not  long  after 
my  father's  death,  only  asking  permission  (which  was 
gladly  given)  to  have  a  facsimile  made  "as  a  memorial 
to  dear  Dr.  Bowditch,"  that  should  always  stand  in  front 
of  the  Mansion  House  at  Naushon.  The  original  now 
rests  as  of  yore  upon  the  old  pedestal  near  other  relics 
of  that  happy  time,  carefully  cherished  in  his  children's 
home,  a  beautiful  memento  of  the  "  dear  Weston  home," 
and  of  my  father's  friendship  with  the  old  Quaker  poet. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

LETTERS    AND    EXTRACTS   FROM   JOURNAL 

1851-1857 

EXTRACT  FROM  HIS  JOURNAL. 

HOLMES'  HOLE,  January  24,  1852. 

A  WEEK  since,  tired  and  worn  out  with  colic 
and  hospital  patients,  private  pupils,  etc.,  I  jumped 
into  the  New  Bedford  cars,  and  was  soon  flying 
through  Buzzard's  Bay,  on  my  way  to  this  place. 
We  grounded  once,  and  thumped  hard  upon  a  rock 
another  time,  and  I  was  nearly  chilled  to  death 
before  our  arrival.  Since  being  here  I  have  been 
met  with  a  Siberian  climate  which  has  frozen  up 
every  craft,  so  that  we  have  had  no  communication 
with  the  mainland,  no  letters  sent  to  or  received 
from  home,  though  doubtless  many  are  now  lying 
awaiting  me  at  New  Bedford.  Notwithstanding  all 
this  I  have  enjoyed  myself.  I  have  been  entirely 
free  from  labor,  and  yet  1  have  worked  much  on 
medicine,  and  I  have  taken  some  most  delightful 
strolls  alone  over  the  undulating  country  immedi 
ately  surrounding  the  village.  The  people  gener 
ally  are  quite  intelligent,  and  the  men,  having  been 
all  of  them  more  or  less  officers  of  ships,  have  a 
liberality  of  thought  and  a  tone  of  conversation  far 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL     249 

superior  to  what  I  anticipated.  My  friend,  Jones 
(the  doctor  of  the  village),  is  my  cicerone  to  their 
good  graces,  and  occasionally  takes  me  for  a  delight 
ful  drive  around  the  island.  This  P.M.,  for  example, 
I  went  to  visit  a  Mrs.  Smith,  the  mother  of  one  of 
my  students,  who  resides  in  one  of  the  most  lonely 
spots,  distant  two  miles  from  any  neighbor.  Our 
drive  was  through  a  scrub  oak  and  pine  country, 
along  the  most  primitive  and  perplexing  labyrinthine 
roads.  The  house  small,  but  situated  on  a  cleared 
spot  about  thirty  or  forty  acres  in  extent  and  com 
manding  a  full  view  of  Vineyard  Sound  and  the 
distant  shore  of  the  continent.  This  afternoon  it 
was  toward  sunset  when  we  arrived,  and  I  have 
rarely  been  so  much  impressed.  The  beautiful  roll 
ing  sea-green  water,  dotted  here  and  there  with  pure 
white  sails,  the  ceaseless  roar  of  the  beach,  the  quiet 
Sabbath  eve,  the  balmy  winter  air,  all  stimulated  my 
mind  to  the  sweetest  reveries.  On  this  occasion,  and 
still  more  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  week  when  the 
wind  was  stronger,  I  have  repeated  with  a  sort  of 
reverential  awe  the  bold,  nervous  lines  of  Mrs.  He- 
mans,  when  she  says  :  — 

"  And  the  sounding  aisles  of  the  dim  wood  rang 
To  the  anthem  of  the  free." 

At  Mrs.  Smith's  I  met  her  mother,  a  very  intelligent 
old  lady,  who  remembered  the  Revolutionary  and 
last  wars  with  England.  Her  father  and  mother 
were  evidently  fair  specimens  of  the  true  New  Eng 
land  grit.  Being  wholly  in  the  power  of  the  ships 
of  the  enemy,  it  was  found  necessary  on  both  occa- 


250  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

sions  to  make  no  resistance,  and  to  allow  the  place 
to  be  neutral  territory.  During  the  first  war  the 
inhabitants  were  ordered  to  give  up  their  arms  and 
ammunition.  Her  father  was  commander  of  a  pro 
vincial  company  and  an  outspoken  man.  She  re 
members  the  fear  they  had  that  some  trouble  would 
arise  for  the  family  in  consequence,  but  her  mother 
was  shrewd  and  fearless.  She  (my  informant)  could 
remember  the  very  spot  where  her  mother,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  children,  carried  some  casks  of 
powder  and  broke  them  open  in  a  bog,  saying  that 
the  British  should  never  have  any  of  her  powder  to 
shoot  her  sons  with.  Frequently,  the  inhabitants 
were  very  much  distressed  by  the  soldiers  carrying 
off  the  cattle  and  poultry.  Parties  would  march  up 
from  the  ships  and  take  all  they  could  find.  If,  how 
ever,  the  inhabitants  would  carry  down  things  for 
sale,  all  articles  were  bought.  On  one  occasion  a 
band  had  been  thus  marauding,  and  had  just  arrived 
at  the  shore  and  were  preparing  to  carry  off  their 
plunder.  Her  father  dressed  himself  in  uniform  and 
showed  himself  at  the  top  of  the  bank,  and  began 
shouting  as  if  to  a  company  of  soldiers  to  march 
quickly  up  and  keep,  at  the  same  time,  in  regular 
firm  discipline.  The  enemy's  party  being  small,  and 
supposing  from  the  boldness  of  the  "  colonel  "  that 
he  must  have  numerous  friends  just  coming  up, 
hastily  took  to  their  boats,  and  left  their  booty  on 
the  shore.  Altogether  my  visit  to  this  old  lady  was 
quite  interesting.  She  still  retains  the  vivacity,  and 
has  not  the  loquacity  of  many  of  her  age.  It  was 


LETTERS  AND   EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL     251 

deeply  interesting  to  meet  one  who  seemed  so  to  con 
nect  the  present  with  the  past,  and  I  quitted  her 
abode  with  regret. 

During  my  visit  here  I  have  read  the  history  of 
the  Hungarian  war,  and  the  speeches  of  Kossuth  in 
England.  What  a  magnificent  specimen  of  noble 
love  of  country  and  power  over  man  he  was!  It 
seems  to  me  that  no  man  ever  lived  who,  from  the 
circumstances  of  his  life  and  his  winning  eloquence, 
had  such  control  over  the  minds  of  nations  as  he. 
His  extraordinary  tact,  our  confidence  in  his  hon 
esty  of  purpose,  his  filial  religious  trust,  his  suffer 
ings,  all  made  me  feel  disposed  to  kiss  even  the  hem 
of  his  garment  as  that  of  a  divinely-inspired  being. 
The  seed  he  is  sowing  broadcast  over  the  English 
and  American  Anglo-Saxon  soil  must  return  with  a 
deeply  laden  crop  of  high  thought  and  noble  pur 
poses  engendered  in  the  hearts  of  nations.  My  anti- 
slavery  friends  shake  their  heads  and  ask  how  I  can 
praise  him  so  when  he  has  failed  to  speak  in  behalf 
of  the  slave.  I  answer  them  thus :  "  He  has  suf 
fered  for  liberty;  he  emancipated  the  serfs  in  his 
native  land ;  he  comes  here  as  a  patriot  and  not  as 
a  philanthropist,  on  a  specific  mission  for  his  father 
land.  He  has  a  glorious  aim,  and  as  much  as  any 
man  could  ever  hope  to  attain  to ;  viz.,  to  stir  up 
the  deep  fountain  of  the  nation's  sympathy  in  behalf 
of  his  own  land,  and  incidentally  in  behalf  of  Eu 
ropean  liberty.  From  that  purpose,  God  given  I 
believe  it  to  be,  he  will  not  swerve  either  to  the 
right  or  to  the  left.  He  is  right,  I  think."  But 


252  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Garrison,  etc.,  say :  "  Nay."  He  fails  to  reach  the 
height  of  their  humanity.  I  tell  them  he  is  a  Mag 
yar,  and  he  seeks  to  interest  us  in  the  Magyar  race. 
I  believe  if  this  nation  should  show  a  real  vital  sym 
pathy  for  that  down-trodden  people,  the  fact  would 
rebound  in  behalf  of  the  slave  pining  in  Carolina  and 
the  far  South.  They  will  not  listen  to  any  of  my 
arguments.  So  be  it.  God  forbid  that  I  should  ever 
refuse  to  bow  down  before  such  sublime  conduct  and 
such  transcendent  powers  as  Kossuth's.  Our  nation 
is  unworthy  of  him. 

The  following  correspondence  between  Charles  Sumner 
and  my  father,  although  somewhat  fragmentary,  is  inter 
esting  as  showing  not  only  the  cordial  regard  existing  be 
tween  them,  but  also  my  father's  habit  of  giving  his  opinion 
freely  to  his  friends,  whether  in  criticism  or  approval  of 
their  course,  a  trait  which,  from  its  very  spirit  of  truth, 
often  endeared  him  even  to  those  who  differed  with 
him:  — 

FROM   CHARLES    SUMNER. 

COURT  STREET,  Thursday,  1851.  (?) 

DEAR  BOWDITCH,  —  I  have  already  read  enough  in 
your  book 1  to  be  very  much  interested  in  Dr.  Twitchell  and 
in  your  way  of  treating  things.  His  victory  in  1807  over 
that  carotid  artery  was  worthier,  in  my  sight,  than  that  of 
Jena ;  but  I  am  prompted  particularly  to  thank  you  for 
your  personal  kindness  to  me.  Your  sympathy  I  value 
much ;  I  have  thought  of  it  often  when  others  have  de 
serted  me.  Believe  me  grateful. 

But  you  speak  in  enigmas.     I  do  not  understand  the 
allusion  at  the  close  of  your  note.     I  am  not  conscious  of 
possessing  the  influence  to  which  you  refer ;  nor  again  am 
1  Life  of  Dr.  Amos  Twitchell  of  Keene,  N.  H.t  by  H.  I.  B. 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL     253 

I  aware  that  I  am  in  any  way  controlled  by  cautious  poli 
ticians,  so  that  I  fail  in  my  duty  to  our  great  cause.  I 
should  like  to  understand  this.  Tell  me  the  golden  op 
portunity.  Let  me  hear  the  truth  frankly.  As  you  go 
through  Court  Street  let  me  see  you. 

Ever  yours,  CHARLES  SUMNEB. 

TO   CHARLES    SUMNER. 

AVON  SPRINGS,  N.  Y.,  August  30, 1852. 
MY  DEAR  SUMNER,  —  For  many  months  I  have 
been  ailing  in  consequence  of  injuries  to  my  right 
hand  received  while  attending  to  my  professional 
duties.  Had  not  this  been  the  case,  I  should  have 
acknowledged  the  receipt  of  several  documents  kindly 
sent  by  you.  Please  now  accept  my  thanks  for 
them  all.  But  I  write  now  chiefly  to  thank  you  for 
the  pleasure  I  experienced  while  perusing  the  sketch 
of  your  noble  speech  in  the  Senate.  The  hearts  of 
thousands  who  are  silent  will  bless  you  for  that,  and 
moreover  for  your  conduct  during  the  entire  session. 
With  all  quiet,  honest,  and  yet  "  backbone  "  men  o£ 
every  party  there  can  be  but  one  opinion :  that  you 
have  done  honor  to  the  old  Bay  State.  I  am  shocked 
at  the  vulgarity  evinced  by  some  of  your  compeers 
(so-called)  of  the  Senate,  but  can  we  expect  anything 
better  than  haughty,  overbearing  behavior  from  those 
who  during  their  whole  lives  have  been  accustomed 
to  tyranny  on  their  part,  and  servility  on  the  part  o£ 
others  ?  I  rejoice  to  see  that  even  three  of  North 
ern  blood  defended  you,  and  that  four  votes  were 
given  in  the  Senate  in  behalf  of  humanity.  John  P. 
Hale,  I  think,  will  remember  when  he  stood  alone. 


254  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

There  was  a  time,  however,  when  the  Senate  Cham 
ber  of  the  United  States  commanded  the  respect  of 
those  of  us  who  disapproved  of  its  acts.  I  could  not 
but  bow  before  the  great  powers  of  such  men  as 
Calhoun  and  Clay,  traitors,  as  I  believe  them,  to  the 
true  interest  of  the  country.  They  were  at  least 
dignified  in  their  deportment,  as  became  the  repre 
sentatives  of  sovereign  States ;  but  we  seem  to  be 
gathering  from  the  West  and  South  some  men  who 
think  blackguardism  before  the  world  is  quite  a 
reputable  way  of  treating  an  opponent.  By  their 
course  they  are  gradually  sapping  that  respect  which 
the  constituency  of  the  nation  has  heretofore  been 
willing  to  grant  to  the  Senate  as  such,  and  which 
the  House  of  Representatives  lost  long  ago.  That 
House  is  well  denominated  the  "  bear  garden  "  by 
some  irreverent  critics.  God  forbid  that  the  Senate 
should  ever  deserve  a  similar  epithet ;  but  with  such 

men  as ,  of  Alabama,  and ,  of  Mississippi, 

as  seen  in  his  attacks  upon  J.  P.  Hale,  I  fear  no 
long  time  will  elapse  ere  that  will  occur.  All  this 
may  seem  treason  to  you  who  sit  among  them,  but 
I  tell  you  the  honest  opinion  of  one  who  cares  not  a 
fig  for  party  politics  or  politicians  any  farther  than 
they  administer  justice  and  are  honest,  upright  men 
and  statesmen.  May  God  long  preserve  you  and 
keep  you  strong  for  the  right  is  the  prayer  of  one 
who  is  proud  to  be  among  the  supporters  and  (may 
I  add)  warm  friends  of  Charles  Sumner. 

HENRY  I.  BOWDITCH. 

Hon.  CHARLES  SUMNER, 
U.  S.  Senate. 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL     255 

The  following  letter  from  Charles  Sumner  was  evidently 
written  in  answer  to  one  from  my  father,  which  has  un 
fortunately  been  lost.  As  it  is  dated  soon  after  the  rendi 
tion  of  Burns,  referred  to  in  a  later  chapter,  the  exhorta 
tion  mentioned  doubtless  referred  to  that  episode  :  — 

WASHINGTON,  17th  June,  1854. 

MY  DEAK  BOWDITCH,  —  I  have  your  fervid  exhorta 
tion.  If  you  ever  find  me  for  one  moment  halting  or 
hesitating  in  any  true  upholding  of  our  cause,  then  de 
nounce  me,  and  no  more  call  me  friend. 

Ever  yours,  CHAKLES  BUHNER.* 

In  the  following  letter  allusion  is  made  to  the  family 
custom  of  meeting  at  Christmas  time.  In  1838,  follow 
ing  the  suggestion  of  my  grandfather  not  long  before  his 
death,  the  first  festivity  was  held  at  8  Otis  Place.  At  that 
time,  it  must  be  remembered,  Christmas  was  not  celebrated 
in  America  as  now,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  custom  of 
having  a  Christmas-tree,  now  so  universal,  was  begun  in  this 
country  at  the  old  homestead  in  Otis  Place.  Since  that 
time,  for  over  sixty  years,  there  has  been  no  break  in  the 
annual  meetings  which  were  so  dear  to  my  father's  heart. 

At  these  festivities  he  gave  full  vent  to  his  love  of  fun 
and  frolic,  his  spirit  infecting  the  whole  assembly,  and 
finding  a  worthy  helpmeet  in  his  sister  Mary,  Mrs.  Epes 
Dixwell,  whose  love  of  fun  was  not  surpassed  by  his. 

TO   MISS   MAKY   HUDSON. 

BOSTON,  December  26,  1852. 

FRIEND  MARY, — 

Yesterday  was  our  beautiful  annual  festival.  We 
gathered  all  around  the  "greenwood  tree"  in  the 

1  The  facsimile  of  a  letter  from  my  father  to  Charles  Sumner, 
dated  February  19,  1856,  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix. 


256  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

library  at  the  homestead,  and  none  were  absent. 
We  were  all  boys  again,  and  we  tumbled  about,  with 
our  children  to  help  us  ;  played  "  snap-dragon,"  etc., 
all  approved  Christmas  games ;  and  finished  off  with 
presents  and  jokes  cracked  at  each  other's  expense. 
I  was  prostrated  upon  the  floor  two  or  three  times 
in  a  most  irreverent  manner  by  youngsters.  Nat, 
my  eldest  brother,  was  swung  aloft  in  Sancho  Panza 
style,  although  not  exactly  in  the  same  way.  Per 
haps  you  can  imagine  how  we  all  behaved  from  your 
(possible)  reminiscences  of  my  first  introduction  to 
you  years  ago  upon  the  greensward  at  Needham. 
"  Vive  la  Gaiete"  was  the  motto  with  all,  and  tri 
umphantly  we  acted  up  to  the  thought.  I  feel  all 
the  better  for  the  taste  of  the  burlesque  in  which 
we  reveled. 

Olivia  is  just  playing  that  most  magnificent 
Funeral  March  by  Beethoven,  on  the  death  of  a 
hero.  It  is  one  of  the  times  that  say  to  me  there 
is  something  divine  in  man.  Olivia  plays  it  to  my 
taste  exactly.  I  would  like  to  hear  its  noble  strains 
at  the  hour  of  death.  They  would  give  what  Herder 
asked  for  when  dying,  —  noble,  great  thoughts.  It 
is  just  dying  away,  and  my  letter  must  close  with  the 
player's  and  my  love.  God  bless  you  and  yours. 

H.  I.  B. 

TO   DR.    WILLIAM   HENRY   THAYER. 

BOSTON,  March  27, 1853. 

MY  DEAR  DOCTOR,  —  I  received  your  kind  letter 
on  my  return  from  Gloucester,  where  I  had  been  to 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL     257 

visit  the  son  of  a  brother  doctor,  who  was  very  ill  with 
double  pneumonia.  I  had,  while  there,  seen  one  of  my 
earliest  and  best  friends,  one  too  whom  I  have  never 
written  to,  and  whom  I  had  seen  but  once  for  thirty- 
six  years.  A  very  delightful  shake  of  the  hand  I 
had  with  the  old  man,  and  my  heart  has  been  attuned 
to  the  sweet  harmonies  of  friendship  by  the  renewal 
of  one  of  my  earliest  boyish  affections.  It  is  one  of 
my  earliest  reminiscences,  this  intercourse  which  I 
had,  in  those  boyish  days,  with  one  who  was  then  a 
man  grown,  and  who  seemed  to  me  then  as  old  as 
he  does  now.  He  was  an  honest  silversmith  who 
kept  a  shop  near  my  home,  and  it  was  the  delight  of 
my  heart  to  be  with  him,  either  tumbling  over  his 
tools  or  blowing  his  furnace.  I  was  so  small  that 
he  used  to  put  me  upon  a  stool  in  order  to  raise 
me  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  blow.  It  was  a  pure, 
mutual  love  of  an  honest,  just,  and  benevolent  man 
and  a  little  child.  I  well  remember  his  treatment 
of  me  when,  upon  a  certain  occasion,  I  broke  one  of 
his  crucibles  while  blowing.  My  consternation  knew 
no  bounds,  when  I  learned  that  the  silver  had  all 
gone.  It  of  course  was  scattered  through  the  fur 
nace  when  by  dint  of  blowing  I  had  ruined  the  vessel 
containing  it.  But  that  most  excellent  man,  feeling 
that  I  had  really  done  no  wrong,  and  that  he  was  to 
be  blamed  for  not  overlooking  my  work,  comforted 
me  by  the  assurance  that  he  was  alone  the  sufferer, 
so  he  alone  deserved  blame.  The  instinctive  sense 
of  justice,  which  always  rises  purely  in  the  mind  of 
a  child,  told  me  he  was  right  ;  and  ydt,  somehow  or 


258  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

another,  I  felt  that  he  was  very  good  to  be  so  kind 
to  me,  when  I  had,  in  fact,  caused  him  so  great  a 
loss.  I  clung  to  him  still  stronger  than  before,  and 
I  well  remember  it  as  one  of  my  earliest  and  deep 
est  sorrows  when  he  told  me  one  day  that  he  was 
going  to  reside  in  Gloucester.  I  well  remember  that 
beautiful  wooden  clock  which  he  had  prepared  as 
a  sign.  It  seemed  to  me  more  gorgeous  than  any 
thing  ever  before  made.  He  left  at  length  and  never 
knew,  till  a  few  nights  ago,  how  I  missed  him.  As 
I  was  strolling  through  the  streets  of  Gloucester 
(unable  to  see  either  Hildreth  or  Mountf  ort,  and  un 
willing  to  return  to  the  house  of  my  rich  patient)  I 
remembered  again  my  old  friend.  I  entered  a  shop. 
It  is  queer,  with  my  tendency  to  forget  names,  that 
I  remembered  his ;  but  so  it  was  that,  without  the 
least  hesitancy,  I  asked  if  a  watchmaker  of  that 
name  lived  anywhere  near.  "  Close  at  hand,"  said 
the  shopman.  "  Yonder  is  the  place ;  I  see  the  old 
man's  light ;  I  suspect  he  has  not  gone  home  yet." 
I  crossed  the  street  and  entered  the  shop,  and  found 
an  old,  honest-looking  but  wrinkled  face  bending 
over  a  watch.  "  Did  you  ever  live  in  North  Street, 
Salem? "  said  I.  "  Yes,"  replied  the  old  fellow,  at 
the  same  time  dropping  his  eyeglass  and  looking 
me  full  in  the  face.  Bodily  we  were  total  strangers, 
yet  in  our  hearts  we  were  friends  beloved.  Spirit 
ually  we  had  been  and  were  much  to  one  another ; 
physically  nothing.  "Do  you  remember  a  boy 
named  Henry  Bowditch  who,  in  old  times,  blasted 
all  your  silver  away  ?  "  "  Indeed  I  do,"  he  answered. 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL     259 

"  Give  me  your  hand/'  said  I,  "  for  I  am  he,  though 
gray-headed  I  may  be."  The  man  grasped  my 
hand  most  cordially.  He  remembered  all  the  cir 
cumstances,  and  related  them  as  I  had  them  locked 
up  in  my  soul.  We  fought  all  our  battles  over 
again,  and  then  told  of  subsequent  experiences.  He 
had  been  married  and  had  had  children,  and  now 
again  was  alone,  his  wife  was  dead,  his  children 
separated  to  the  four  winds.  The  world  had  gone 
somewhat  hard  with  him,  yet  he  thanked  God  he 
had  always  continued  to  get  along.  His  greatest 
evils  had  always  been  those  of  anticipation  rather 
than  those  of  reality.  I  told  him  of  my  course,  and 
made  him  promise  that  if  ever  he  came  to  Boston  he 
would  come,  as  one  of  my  best  friends,  and  dine  with 
me.  He  had  been  one  of  my  best  friends  because 
in  an  hour  of  vexation  he  had  been  just  to  me.  He 
seemed  gratified  by  my  visit  and  promised  to  call  if 
he  ever  came  to  the  city.  It  was  a  pleasant  visit, 
was  it  not? 

Subsequently  to  that,  at  early  dawn,  I  wandered 
out  upon  the  beach  and  listened  to  the  deep  and 
eternal  roarings  of  the  sea  as  it  beat  upon  the  sand. 
The  illimitable  and  all-encompassing  love  of  the 
Almighty  seemed  to  speak  to  me  in  articulate  sounds 
with  each  roll  of  the  surf.  Like  a  boy  I  ran  along 
the  hard  sand.  My  heart  was  buoyant  and  bright  as 
it  was  when,  as  a  child,  I  played  with  the  old  man. 
How  benign  are  all  the  influences  which  nature 
throws  around  us,  and  it  is  my  faith  a  golden  age 
will  some  time  come  when  all  the  social  influences 


260  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

of  life  will  be  as  holy  as  those  [with]  which  nature, 
even  in  her  roughest  mood,  encompasses  us.  In 
those  days  friendship  will  have  its  perfect  work 
to  do. 

I  scarcely  know,  my  dear  Doctor,  whether  you  see 
the  drift  of  all  my  egotism.  Please  take  it  as  a 
proof  that  I  fully  appreciate  the  value  of  your  true 
friendship.  May  ours  never  be  less !  I  have  many 
friends,  and  every  hour  of  the  day  I  thank  Heaven 
for  them ;  yet  I  can  scarcely  tell  why  they  love  me, 
for  I  rarely  write,  and  sometimes  I  fear  they  must 
think  I  have  forgotten  them.  Be  assured,  my  dear 
Doctor,  if  I  never  should  write  a  line  to  you  again, 
I  never  shall  forget  the  warmth  with  which,  while  a 
pupil  and  since  becoming  a  brother  in  a  most  noble 
profession,  you  have  always  greeted  me.  I  recipro 
cate  with  all  my  heart  all  you  say,  and  I  say  but 
the  truth  when  I  declare  that  if  I  should  lose  your 
friendship  a  bright  light  of  my  life  would  go  out. 
Commend  me  to  dear  Ellen.  I  wish  I  could  say 
anything  to  alleviate  the  deep  sorrow  she  must  feel 
at  the  loss  of  so  excellent  a  father ;  yet  I  know  that 
she  has  good  sense  enough  and  genuine  piety  enough 
to  be  able  to  draw  from  this  apparent  loss  a  great 
spiritual  blessing.  God  bless  you  and  yours. 
Ever  your  friend, 

H.  I.  BOWDITCH. 

TO  THE   SAME. 

BOSTON,  December  5,  1857. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  delighted  I  was  to  receive 
your  letter.     It  brought  back  old  times.     It  carried 


LETTERS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  JOURNAL     261 

me  out  of  the  vortex  into  which  I  seemed  whirling 
and  showed  me  by  means  of  memory's  fairy  fingers 
the  great  landmarks  of  our  common  life  of  friend 
ship.  How  far  she  pointed  backward  !  even  to  the 
early  years  of  your  student  life.  I  remember  one 
little  act  of  confidence  and  respect  (perhaps  now  for 
gotten  by  yourself)  which  convinced  me  that  there 
were  elements  in  the  student's  heart  that  would  bind 
the  man  to  me  in  after  years,  and  now  the  pro 
phecy  has  become  a  fulfillment.  Thank  God  for  that ! 
And  yet,  my  dear  Thayer,  I  have  a  tinge  of  sadness 
always  creeping  over  me  when  I  think  I  perhaps 
have  done  you  as  much  harm  as  good ;  nay,  I  am 
not  sure  that  it  would  not  have  been  better  for  you 
had  I  never  been  your  friend.  The  very  element  of 
your  character  which  ought  to  have  been  pruned  and 
restrained,  I  unwittingly  have  sometimes  stimulated. 
You  ought  to  have  been  intimate  with  Dr.  (Samuel) 
Parkman,  than  whom  I  know  no  one  wiser  among 
the  members  of  Young  Physic.  I  never  shall  for 
get  him,  because  he  by  his  early  wisdom  once  re 
strained  me  from  doing  what  I  afterwards  felt  would 
have  been  a  rash  act  on  my  part.  At  his  death  I 
mourned  the  loss  of  one  who  was  truly  my  friend, 
for  he  corrected  my  fault  in  the  most  faultless  man 
ner.  I  always  loved  him  better  after  the  probing 
than  before.  Your  remark  that  you  have  always 
sought  to  be  a  man  in  preference  to  being  a  mere 
physician  contains  the  germ  of  a  noble  truth.  If  a 
man  sink  his  manhood  in  the  profession,  he  commits 
an  act  of  high  treason  to  his  soul.  But  I  fear  we 


262  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

have  both  of  us  at  times  magnified  our  love  of  manly 
honor  until  it  has  been  somewhat  of  a  caricature  of 
chivalric  manhood,  rather  than  that  gentle  courtesy 
which  fears  nothing,  but  is  mild  in  its  self-reliance. 
Out  of  our  mouths  have  leaked  words  of  truth  and 
fire,  but  not  of  soberness.  And  so  at  times  they  have 
failed  to  produce  the  desired  effect,  even  if  they  have 
not  perchance  recoiled  on  our  own  too-late  repentant 
heads.  Also,  how  often  does  this  very  statement 
prove  a  reality  to  me,  even  at  the  present  day !  Am 
I  wrong  in  judging  that  you  have  at  times  suffered 
as  I  have  suffered  in  this  particular  ?  It  is  one  of 
my  most  fervent  daily  vows  that  I  will  curb  myself. 
Daily  do  I  fail.  So  we  go  —  eternally  striving,  eter 
nally  failing  —  and  yet  I  think  always  progressing 
forwards,  at  least  intellectually,  and  I  fain  would 
hope  morally ;  at  least,  as  far  as  seeing  the  difference 
between  right  and  wrong,  although  perhaps  in  action 
mightily  faulty.  Here  I  have  been  as  usual  running 
on  as  if  speaking  to  myself ;  a  kind  of  thinking  on 
paper. 

Let  us  now  look  to  the  actual.  Ellen  may  tell  you 
of  my  business  occupations.  I  have  more  than  I  had 
any  right  to  ask  for,  and  yet  with  it  comes  unrest, 
little  quiet,  and  less  real  study.  I  cannot  ever  have 
an  overflowing  purse,  so  that  as  my  family  expenses 
increase,  receipts  are  absorbed  and  debts  always  look 
me  in  the  face  ;  but  I  am  in  the  race-course  and,  liv 
ing  or  dying,  I  must  remain  there.  .  .  .  Enough  of 
this.  .  -  .  God  be  with  you  and  bless  you. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   RENDITION    OF   BURNS  —  LETTER    FROM   WHET- 
TIER —  THE  "ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE" 

1854 

IN  1854  occurred  the  rendition  of  Burns,  the  last  slave 
ever  returned  from  Massachusetts  to  the  southern  slave 
holder.  The  following  extract  from  my  father's  journal 
and  the  letters  from  Whittier  serve  to  show,  not  only  the 
marked  change  in  the  spirit  of  the  North  since  the  ren 
dition  of  Sims  three  years  before,  but  also  the  burning 
enthusiasm  of  the  Quaker  poet,  who,  although  opposed  on 
principle  to  war  and  bloodshed,  yet  could,  as  occasion  re 
quired,  send  forth  a  ringing  note  to  arouse  his  country 
men. 

EXTRACT  FROM  JOURNAL,  JUNE  1,  1854. 
BURNS'S   RENDITION. 

After  a  rest  of  more  than  three  years,  our  city 
has  been  desecrated  by  the  foot  of  the  slave  hunter. 
Contrary  to  my  hopes,  the  poor  victim  has  been  re 
turned,  not,  however,  as  Sims  was,  at  the  break  of 
the  morning,  and  witb  a  volunteer  corps  of  the 
young  aristocrats  of  the  city,  and  a  set  of  hired 
wretches  with  tbeir  double-edged  swords,  as  his  body 
guard.  In  full  broad  daylight,  in  the  middle  of  the 
day,  in  front  of  the  assembled  merchant  princes  of 
State  Street,  with  a  right  royal  cortege  of  two  com- 


264  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

panies  of  United  States  troops,  and  cannon  loaded 
with  grape,  and  all  the  military  of  Suffolk  County, 
the  poor  slave  was  escorted,  as  with  regal  splendor, 
to  the  end  of  Long  Wharf.  There  he  was  received 
on  board  the  revenue  cutter  Morris,  and  is  now 
probably  far  away  towards  the  hell  that  is  prepared 
for  him  in  Virginia.  The  reason  for  these  unusual 
preparations  was  from  the  fact  that  a  vast  number 
of  people  sympathized  with  the  slave  ;  even  John  H. 
Pearson  was  aroused,  and  has  labored  very  much  in 
his  behalf.  The  enslaver  of  Sims  is  now  a  hater  of 

slavery.  Willis,  the  broker,  who  became  bail  for , 

offered  one  of  our  men  to  provide  a  ship  for  the  res 
cue  of  the  present  victim.  There  was  never,  in  fact, 
in  the  history  of  Northern  sentiment,  such  an  entire 
change  as  has  occurred  since  the  passage  of  the  Ne 
braska  Bill,  with  the  overthrow  of  all  compromises, 
and  during  the  events  of  the  past  week  in  Boston. 
It  seems  to  be  generally  admitted  that  this  precise 
time  was  chosen  by  the  Virginians  in  order  to  insult 
us  the  more  grossly  while  smarting  under  the  inflic 
tion  of  the  Nebraska  Bill.  The  arrest  was  made 
about  a  week  ago,  instead  of  three  weeks  since, 
when  the  papers  were  ready.  On  Wednesday  night, 
under  a  lie,  he  was  arrested.  The  next  morning  1 
received  news  of  it,  and  since  I  have  been  occupied 
about  all  the  time.  The  committee  met,  and  kept 
in  permanent  session  during  the  day,  and  in  the 
evening  there  was  a  meeting  in  Faneuil  Hall,  full  to 
over-flowing,  and  with  scarcely  a  dissenting  voice,  for 
all  the  earnest  words  of  the  "  golden-mouthed  Phil- 


THE  RENDITION  OF  BURNS  265 

lips  "  and  the  terse,  epigrammatic  Theodore  Parker, 
and  the  earnest,  devoted  Swift.  Before  this  meet 
ing  sundry  discussions  took  place  in  the  Vigilance 
Committee  about  resorting  to  force,  but  coming  to 
gether  anew  after  a  three  years'  separation,  each 
man  wanted  to  talk,  and  no  man  entirely  trusted  his 
neighbor  or  himself  apparently.  This  was  the  bane 
of  everything.  No  leader,  no  head,  and  consequently 
anarchy  was  the  result.  Every  plan  failed  of  being 
fully  carried  out.  The  rescue  attempt  made  on  Fri 
day  evening  was  premature,  contrary  to  agreement, 
and  undertaken  apparently  by  men  who,  sneering  at 
the  previous  cowardice  of  us  Boston  recreants,  had 
come  from  Worcester  with  the  avowed  purpose  of 
doing  what  Boston  could  not  or  would  not.  I  felt 
all  the  while  as  T.  W.  Higginson,  in  his  calm  but 
enthusiastic  manner,  talked  of  his  200  good  and  true 
men  from  the  heart  of  the  Commonwealth,  that  he 
was  but  little  aware  of  the  toughness  of  the  head  of 
the  old  Bay  State.  It  is  easy  to  do  anything  when 
all  are  agreed,  but  for  a  small  minority,  as  the  Abo 
litionists  of  Boston  are,  to  attempt  to  break  stone 
walls  is  another  matter.  It  is  true  that  probably,  had 
the  crowd  wished  on  that  evening,  they  would  have 
carried  all  before  them.  For  my  own  part,  I  knew 
nothing,  save  in  general,  of  the  proposed  attack ; 
and  when  young  Swift  met  me  in  descending  from 
the  hall  on  the  sudden  breaking  up  of  the  meeting, 
and  prepared  to  run  and  excite  the  people  towards 
Court  Square,  I  felt  that  indecision  of  which  I  spoke. 
Parker  and  Phillips  had  evidently  done  what  they 


266  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

could  to  restrain  the  people.  I  supposed  that  the 
attack  was  made  by  foolhardy  individuals  who  had 
not  calculated  the  cost.  I,  however,  rushed  towards 
Court  Square.  Mingling  in  the  crowd  in  the  dark 
ness,  I  lost  Swift.  A  large  body  was  on  the  east 
side,  but  the  persons  seemed  collected  without  any 
purpose.  I  was  alone;  I  knew  not  whether  they 
were  police  or  friends  of  the  slave.  Soon  I  heard 
the  crack  of  what  seemed  a  pistol-shot  on  the  west 
side,  and  immediately  a  loud  pounding  as  if  doors 
were  being  battered  down.  I  ran  round,  but  all  was 
over,  and  the  multitudes  were  flying,  apparently 
from  the  very  spot.  Only  two  or  three,  apparently, 
had  hold  of  a  beam ;  but  before  I  reached  them  it 
was  dropped,  and  one  or  two  had  gone  in,  but  the 
door  was  immediately  closed  from  within.  I  walked 
near,  and  certainly  I  never  had  more  mingled  emo 
tions  of  shame  and  horror.  Was  I  called  upon  to 
rush  in  after  and  give  myself  up  in  hopeless  conflict, 
or  should  I  pass  out  from  the  square  ?  I  chose  the 
latter  alternative.  I  am  now  glad  I  did  so.  It  could 
have  done  no  good  to  do  otherwise.  I  heard  after 
wards  that  Kemp  and  others  of  our  best  men  were 
trying  to  check  the  too  ardent  and  premature  move 
ments  of  Higginson  and  his  party,  for  I  suppose  I 
do  them  no  dishonor  in  thus  writing  the  truth.  It 
was  noble  on  their  part.  Would  to  God  we  had 
more  like  them !  When  Massachusetts  is  filled  with 
such,  then  slave  hunting  will  be  impossible.  I  felt 
I  was  really  unworthy  of  them  when  I  passed  away. 
Generous  impulse  told  me,  "  If  you  can't  succeed, 


THE  RENDITION  OF  BURNS  267 

at  least  suffer  with  your  friends."  Prudence  said, 
"  Beware,  you  are  lost  without  doing  good."  And 
so  I  followed  Prudence  and  blushed  while  doing  so. 
Perhaps  it  is  well. 

After  this  attack,  of  course  all  guards  were  placed. 
The  United  States  Marines  and  a  set  of  bloody  vas 
sals  kept  watch.  There  were,  however,  traitors  in 
the  camp,  and  for  one  or  two  nights  we  hoped  to 
bring  the  fugitive  out  by  means  of  the  "  golden 
key."  Freeman,  however,  had  eight  men  and  him 
self  to  sleep  in  the  room  on  the  night  after  the  plan. 

After  this  we  met  indefinitely ;  no  regular  meet 
ings.  Everybody  talked.  All  proposed  all  sorts  of 
expedients,  and  the  public  at  large  knew  our  inmost 
thoughts.  Meanwhile  the  case  went  on  and  the 
alibi  witnesses  came  along,  much  to  the  joy  of  our 
law-abiding  citizens.  Little  did  any  one  think  that 
Loring,  the  gentle  and  merciful  as  he  seemed  to  be, 
would  render  such  an  infamous  verdict. 

I  went  to  the  Governor  to  see  if  he  would  aid  in 
serving  the  writ  of  personal  replevin.  He  was  cold 
as  an  icicle,  though  coming  from  Worcester.  No 
hope  save  in  the  Commissioner.  Mayor  Smith 
brought  out  the  military,  under  pretence  of  preserv 
ing  the  peace,  and  thereby  increased  the  excitement 
at  the  same  time  in  his  "  blow  hot,  blow  cold  "  mode 
of  proceeding,  pretending  to  have  a  regard  for 
Burns.  Out  on  such  unmanliness !  Better  at  any 
time  have  an  open  devil  to  deal  with  than  a  hypo 
crite. 

Finally,  on  Friday,  June  2,  at  nine  A.  M.,  all  were  in 


268  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

deep  anxiety  to  hear  the  result.  The  cannon  of  the 
United  States  forces  were  planted  in  Court  Square. 
A  whole  regiment  of  state  forces  paraded  in  State 
Street.  I  was  in  the  court-room.  The  Commissioner, 
in  a  most  cold-blooded  manner,  rendered  his  decision. 
Deep  silence  prevailed.  I  shook  hands  with  the 
slave.  The  room  was  cleared.  At  eleven  I  sent  for 
Nat  to  be  with  me  in  State  Street.  All  day  excite 
ment  prevailed,  but  then  a  miracle  had  been  wrought. 
All  condemned  the  proceeding.  "Hunker  Whigs" 
and  Democrats  vied  with  each  other  in  cursing  the 
whole  affair.  During  the  whole  day  I  met  with 
but  two  persons  who  upheld  the  proceeding.  We 
formed  a  ring  around  these  and  hissed  and  hooted 
them.  One  was  disposed  to  show  fight,  but  he 
soon  slunk  off.  About  one  o'clock  an  order  for 
thorough  clearing  of  the  streets  was  given ;  even 
alleys  were  guarded  by  armed  men.  The  mayor 
had  (contrary  to  law)  given  discretionary  orders  to 
General  Edwards.  Martial  law  was  proclaimed. 
Good  fortune  alone  prevented  the  people  from 
being  shot  down.  Twice  I  saw  the  troops  charge 
bayonet,  and  once  (in  Parisian  style)  the  cavalry 
charged  with  drawn  swords.  My  hours  were  spent 
in  hissing.  I  heard  no  cheers  save  against  the 
militia  or  police.  Hisses  and  groans  saluted  them 
in  every  [place].  Officers  were  called  out  by  their 
names,  and  their  ears  were  filled  with  cries  of 
"  Shame  !  "  I  am  satisfied  that  the  state  militia  alone 
preserved  the  slave.  The  small  corps  of  marines 
would  have  been  overwhelmed. 


THE  RENDITION  OF  BURNS  269 

Finally  came  along  the  body-guard.  At  a  quick 
pace  they  again  tramped  over  the  place  where 
Attucks  fell.  I  was  in  Samuel  May's  building,  cor 
ner  of  State  and  Broad  streets.  Bloody  desperadoes, 
armed  with  cutlasses  and  pistols,  surrounded  poor 
Burns.  It  was  a  damning  sight,  but  I  thought  we 
had  progressed. 

The  people  now  are  more  ripe  than  ever  for  revo 
lution.  Peaceful  I  believe  it  may  be,  but  bloody  I 
fear  it  will  be.  "  No  slave  hunting  in  Massachusetts" 
is  the  muttered  oath  under  every  one's  lips.  Tar 

and  feathers  are  common  talk  for  Commissioner , 

and  every  one  engaged  in  the  business  of  slave 
catching  must  be  abducted  and  treated  as  they  de 
serve. 

God  save  us  if  something  like  it  be  not  done. 
We  are  doomed.  I  again  gird  myself  for  the  fight. 

FROM   JOHN   G.   WHITTIER. 

AMESBURY,  26th  Day,  5th  Month,  1854. 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND,  —  That  man  must  not  be  sent  out  of 
Boston  as  a  slave.  Anything  but  that !  The  whole  people 
must  be  called  out,  the  country  must  precipitate  itself 
upon  the  city —  an  avalanche  of  freemen !  Where  are  your 
circulars  and  your  expresses  ?  In  the  name  of  God,  let 
the  people  be  summoned !  Send  out  the  fiery  cross  with 
out  further  delay  !  Tell  us  what  you  want  and  what  we 
can  do  !  Thousands  are  waiting  for  the  word  from  you. 

Is  it  not  possible  to  keep  the  matter  open  until  next 
week  ?  If  so,  will  not  some  of  the  Anti-Nebraska  pulpits 
speak  out  ?  I  write  in  great  haste,  as  I  have  just  seen 
the  "  Commonwealth,"  and  the  mail  is  about  closing.  If 


270  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

you  want  the  country  to  march  into  Boston,  say  so  at  once. 
If  another  man  is  to  be  sacrificed  to  Moloch,  let  the  whole 
people  witness  it.  Thine  truly, 

J.  G.  WHITTIER, 

From  the  letter  which  follows,  it  is  evident  that  in 
quoting  Whittier's  words  at  a  meeting  of  colored  people, 
my  father  unconsciously  gave  a  wrong  impression  of  the 
poet's  sentiments  as  to  the  character  of  the  demonstration 
he  wished  made.  With  characteristic  devotion  to  principle, 
even  when  deeply  stirred,  Whittier  wrote  again  as  follows : 

AMESBURY,  2d  Day,  Morning,  29th,  1854. 

DEAR  FRIEND,  —  I  am  sorry  to  see  such  a  spirit  of 
violence  manifested,  as  it  is  useless  and  wrong  in  itself. 
I  wish  the  demonstration  of  feeling  to  be  deep  and 
serious,  but  earnestly  pray  that  there  may  be  no  resort 
to  force.  Cannot  the  man  be  bought?  He  must  be 
saved  if  possible.  I  regret  the  use  of  my  letter  to  thee 
at  a  meeting  of  our  colored  friends.  Surely  no  one 
who  knows  me  could  suppose  that  I  wish  to  have 
any  violent  measures  adopted.  Pray  see  to  it  that  no 
such  impression  was  left  in  the  minds  of  our  colored 
friends.  Oh,  let  them  beware  of  violence!  Let  them 
not  injure  a  holy  cause  by  wrong  action.  God  reigns, 
and  if  we  are  true  to  his  laws  we  shall  do  more  for 
liberty  than  by  the  use  of  the  devil's  weapons,  of 
brute  force.  Nothing  but  great  illness  prevents  me  from 
coming  down  to  use  my  influence  on  the  side  of  freedom 
and  peace.  Dear  Doctor,  act  for  me,  then,  and  tide  back 
all  as  far  as  possible  from  anything  like  violence.  Beg 
our  colored  friends  to  bear  and  forbear. 

Thine  truly,  J.  G.  WHITTIER. 

P.  S.  Be  good  enough  to  obtain  possession  of  my 
letter  to  thee  and  keep  it.  It  was  written  in  haste,  and 
should  not  have  been  used  by  others,  as  I  see  it  was  by 


THE  RENDITION  OF  BURNS  271 

a  paragraph  in  the  "Times."  I  wished  only  that  the 
people  of  Massachusetts  could  be  witnesses  of  this  awful 
sacrifice,  in  the  hope  that  the  peaceful,  moral  demonstra 
tion  might  be  of  service,  if  not  to  the  poor  victim,  yet  to  the 
cause  of  freedom.  God  bless  thee,  my  dear  friend,  and 
give  thee  wisdom  and  strength  for  the  occasion. 

In  consequence  of  Burns's  rendition,  the  result  of  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Act,  the  temper  of  the  Abolitionists  showed 
itself  in  the  formation  of  the  Anti-Man-Hunting  League, 
an  extraordinary  organization,  which  in  our  later  times, 
with  the  burning  questions  of  that  day  satisfactorily  set 
tled  forever,  doubtless  may  seem  to  many  a  farcical, 
almost  insane  outgrowth  of  fanatical  ideas. 

To  justify  such  procedures,  we  must  recall  the  fact  that 
in  the  progress  of  every  great  reform  extreme  measures 
are  often  an  inevitable  necessity  for  accomplishing  the 
desired  end.  Doubtless  even  the  chief  supporters  con 
fessed  that  the  plan  was  justifiable  only  because  of  the 
nature  of  the  conditions  then  existing.  That  such  mea 
sures  were  advocated  by  my  father  only  as  a  desperate 
remedy  for  existing  ills  is  proven  by  his  often  outspoken 
and  well-known  strong  antipathy  to  the  idea  of  secret 
organizations,  which  he  believed,  as  a  rule,  to  be  contrary 
to  the  spirit  of  our  institutions. 

Frequent  allusions  to  the  league  are  made  in  my  father's 
journals  and  letters.  They  are  all  vivid  proofs  of  the 
intense  excitement  which  existed  throughout  the  North 
in  the  few  years  preceding  the  civil  war. 

In  the  "  Thirty  Years'  War  of  Anti-Slavery  "  (chapter 
vi.,  page  78),  after  alluding  to  the  departure  of  the  rev 
enue  cutter  Morris,  with  Burns  on  board,  he  says,  — 

Immediately  after  the  vessel  left  the  wharf,  many 
of  us  Abolitionists  went,  by  one  consent,  to  the 


272  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

"  Liberator"  office,  and  there  again,  as  with  one  heart, 
we  joined  in  prayer  as  our  first  act,  and  we  soon 
separated  to  our  homes.  Some  time  during  the  day, 
I  said  to  my  brother  William,  who  had  been  with 
me  a  witness  of  all  these  scenes,  and  exasperated  as 
I  was  at  the  deed  which  had  been  so  haughtily  per 
formed  :  "  Let  us  have  an  association  to  take  hold 
of  the  slave  hunter.  He  comes  here  and  has  su 
preme  control.  Let  us  have  a  society  in  the  differ 
ent  towns  of  the  State,  with  secret  lodges,  and  let 
us  seize  the  hunter  and  make  him,  not  by  doing 
harm  to  him,  but  by  holding  him  captive  and  carry 
ing  him  to  different  places,  give  up  the  slave."  If 
necessary  for  success  in  freeing  the  slave,  we  were 
ready  to  pay.  We  hoped,  however,  to  get  freedom 
without  payment  of  any  money,  or  by  the  use  of  a 
small  sum.  From  this  conversation,  I  have  reason 
to  believe,  arose  the  league. 

Later,  in  chapter  vii.,  he  says,  — 

The  Anti-Man-Hunting  League  was  the  final 
effort  of  Massachusetts  to  defeat  the  slave  hunter  in 
Boston.  To  those  living  now  (1889)  it  may  appear 
either  as  a  grotesque  folly  born  of  fanaticism,  or  a 
high  crime,  according  to  the  temper  of  the  reader, 
and  in  proportion  to  his  interest  in  the  anti-slavery 
struggle  going  on  more  than  quarter  of  a  century 
ago.  In  the  eyes  of  some,  we  leaguers  were  speci 
mens  of  human  nature  ludicrous  in  the  extreme,  while 
to  others  we  seem  to  have  been  traitors  worthy  of 
the  severest  penalties.  This  being  the  case,  and  such 


THE   ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE  273 

diverse  opinions  being  held  of  our  actions,  perhaps 
it  will  be  well  to  recall  to  mind  the  various  events 
and  their  results  upon  the  minds  of  most  (not  all,  as 
for  instance  Garrison,  the  "  non-resistant,"  and  per 
haps  others  indisposed  to  use  any  arguments  but 
"  moral  suasion  ")  if  not  all  of  the  most  earnest  of 
the  Abolitionists.  [We  argued]  "  Let  us  now  try 
another  method  with  the  slave  hunter,  and  make,  as 
it  were,  a  '  flank  movement '  upon  our  enemy,  leav 
ing  it  to  others  to  argue  before  the  courts  or  make 
speeches  in  public  halls.  While  we  attack  the  man 
hunter  himself,  they  may  argue  and  eloquently  de 
claim,  as  all  up  to  that  hour  have  done  ! "  The 
leaguers  argued  that  we  had  tried  all  measures  possi 
ble  to  free  the  slave.  We  had  been  mobbed  in  early 
days  and  held  up  as  traitors  to  the  country  and  God. 
Law  had  been  vainly  tried.  The  Supreme  Court  was 
against  us.  It  had  decided  that  a  black  man  or  any 
one  claimed  as  a  slave  under  the  form  of  the  Fugi 
tive  Slave  Bill  had  no  more  rights  than  an  ox  or 
a  horse,  and  the  whole  power  of  the  Federal  Gov 
ernment  was  wielded  in  support  of  this  accursed 
doctrine.  Politicians  bowed  to  the  mighty  power. 
"  Cotton  was  King,"  well  and  firmly  (as  was  thought) 
on  the  throne,  compelling  Congress  to  pass  the  Fugi 
tive  Slave  Act,  which  was  carried  out  in  Boston  with 
a  proud  overwhelming  military  force  ;  the  State  and 
the  Nation  apparently  vying  with  one  another  in 
determination  to  enforce  the  accursed  statute  !  Sad 
and  distressed  beyond  measure  were  we  Abolitionists 
all  during  those  dreadful  days ;  but  we  were  short- 


274  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

sighted  and  did  not  see  that  in  the  performance  of 
such  acts  in  order  to  crush  a  liberty-loving  people, 
the  slave  oligarchy  overreached  itself,  and  that 
Burns  was  the  last  slave  to  be  returned  from  old 
Boston,  and  [that]  if  any  came  they  would  be  quickly 
forwarded  to  Canada.  Fearing,  however,  that  we 
should  be  still  further  tried,  and  although  hating  all 
secret  associations,  I  gladly  accepted  the  thought  of 
a  secret  league  in  Boston  with  affiliated  leagues  in 
various  towns  of  the  State  to  entrap  and  "  kidnap  " 
(if  you  wish  to  use  the  word)  the  slaveholder.  We 
meant  to  frighten  him  by  taking  him  from  his  hotel 
and  carrying  him  to  confinement  at  our  country 
lodges,  and  thus  perhaps  to  persuade  him  to  give  up 
or  sell  the  slave.  Each  member  of  the  league  was 
to  be  sworn  to  perfect  secrecy,  even  from  his  intimate 
relations.  Our  plan  was  as  follows  :  — 

Immediately  on  the  arrival  of  a  slave  hunter  and 
arrest  of  a  slave  in  Boston  or  any  of  the  large  cities, 
the  various  lodges  were  to  be  notified  of  the  fact. 
All  leaguers  were  forthwith,  if  possible,  to  appear  in 
Boston,  and  as  many  as  possible  were  to  take  rooms 
at  the  hotel  at  which  the  scoundrel,  as  we  deemed 
him,  had  taken  rooms.  If  possible,  we  meant  to  fill 
up  all  the  spare  rooms  of  the  building.  We  wanted 
to  have  the  public  opinion  of  the  place  as  far  as 
possible  in  our  favor.  They  were  to  be  there,  how 
ever,  seemingly  as  individuals  engaged  in  business, 
and  were  to  converse  with  one  another  upon  every 
topic,  but  above  all  things  to  avoid  speaking  of  the 
slave  case.  At  headquarters  a  general  meeting 


THE  ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE  275 

would  be  held,  and  the  matter  would  be  fully  dis 
cussed  and  all  the  facts  about  the  hunter,  his  residence 
in  the  city,  etc.,  would  be  made  known.  This  hav 
ing  been  done,  a  committee  of  six  brave  and  prudent 
comrades  should  be  chosen.  The  majority  would  be 
young  and  stalwart,  and  above  all  true,  from  long 
trial,  to  anti-slavery.  An  older  man,  but  one  not 
wanting  in  physical  and  moral  strength,  would  be 
selected  as  chief  leader  and  speaker  for  the  commit 
tee,  and  ready  to  give  the  sign  for  physical  force 
tactics  if  moral  and  reasonable  influences  had  no 
effect  towards  gaining  the  immediate  freedom  of  the 
runaway.  If  the  slave  hunter  should  be  reasonable 
and  willing  to  give  free  papers,  the  committee  was  to 
be  prepared  to  pay  a  small  sum  and  leave  the  agent 
in  peace  after  he  had  given  the  necessary  legal  docu 
ments.  To  buy  a  slave,  even  for  the  very  purpose 
of  freeing  him,  was  abhorrent  to  some  of  our  most 
earnest  Abolitionists.  The  majority  of  us  deemed 
such  supersensitiveness  about  purchasing  a  human 
being,  with  the  end  of  perfect  freedom,  absolutely 
nonsensical.  No  leaguer  held  up  such  absurd  doc 
trine.  If,  however,  as  we  anticipated,  the  Southern 
blood  should  arise  and  the  hunter  should  haughtily 
refuse  all  offers  looking  to  freedom,  then  on  signal 
from  our  chief  the  process  of  "  snaking  out "  the 
miscreant  would  be  promptly  carried  out.  While 
the  committee  would  be  having  their  interview,  our 
numerous  friends,  the  leaguers,  would  quietly  assem 
ble  in  the  entry  or  reading-room,  and  while  con 
versing  perhaps  on  indifferent  topics  would  narrowly 


276  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

watch  the  committee's  movements.  In  order  still 
further  to  deceive  all  bystanders  who  were  ignorant 
of  our  plan,  they  would  crowd  around  the  committee, 
forming  a  compact  mass  in  the  entries  and  halls,  of 
the  Revere  House,  for  example,  where  these  hunters 
usually  stayed.  At  a  signal  from  the  chief  of  the 
committee,  his  five  companions  were  to  seize  the  legs, 
arms,  and  head  of  the  hunter,  and  rapidly  carry  him, 
without  injury  to  him,  to  a  carriage  to  be  kept  in 
readiness  (as  if  waiting  for  a  passenger)  in  front  or 
at  the  side  of  the  building.  Having  secured  him,  he 
was  to  be  driven  out  of  town  to  one  of  our  lodges,  and 
thence  transferred  secretly,  with  frequent  changes 
from  town  to  town,  if  necessary  for  concealment, 
to  other  lodges,  all  of  whom  would  be  prepared  to 
receive  him.  Our  men,  who  were  to  be  in  the  halls 
during  the  consultation,  and  at  the  time  of  the  kid 
napping  were  to  form  a  body  around  the  committee, 
and  while  apparently  astonished  and  indignant  at 
the  struggle  going  on,  and  pretending  to  be  try 
ing  to  rescue  the  victim,  would  indirectly  help  the 
committee  by  keeping  off  all  strangers  or  opponents. 
We  weU  knew  that  the  affair  would  become  bruited 
abroad,  and  probably  all  the  committee  would  be 
arrested ;  but  by  our  solemn  promise  given  "  before 
Almighty  God  and  this  company,"  the  minions  of 
the  law  were  to  get  no  answer  from  any  of  us,  even 
with  penalties  of  contempt  of  court  being  inflicted. 
We  knew  very  well,  too,  that  the  concealment  of  any 
stranger  in  a  country  town  would  be  well-nigh  im 
possible  unless  a  change  every  twenty-four  hours,  if 


THE  ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE  277 

not  more  frequently,  of  domicile  was  made.  We 
considered  all  these  liabilities,  but  at  the  same  time 
we  knew  that  throughout  the  land  the  simple  fact 
that  a  slave  hunter  had  been  "  kidnapped  "  in  Bos 
ton  would  check  the  ardor  of  all  seekers  of  runa 
ways,  and  at  the  same  time  leave  non-slaveholding 
people  to  think  seriously  upon  the  whole  matter. 
We  were  willing  to  try  the  effect  of  "  insulting  a 
slave  trader  "  or  his  employer.  As  I  think  now  of 
our  plan,  preposterous  as  it  may  seem  to  some,  and 
having  a  "  serio-comic  effect  "  in  Mr.  Wilson's  eyes,1 
I  think  it  was  a  feasible  one.  When  I  remember 
that  for  more  than  two  years  we  drilled  every  two 
weeks  for  this  object,  I  am  sure  that,  had  the  league 
been  in  existence  when  Tuttle  came,  and  we  had 
immediately  applied  our  tactics  on  him,  we  should 
probably  have  prevented  the  terrible  scenes  presented 
at  the  return  of  Burns.  Be  that  hypothesis  tenable 
or  not,  certain  it  is  that  men  of  all  professions  and 
trades,  and  those  of  no  trade,  but  simply  laborers  by 
the  day,  met  fortnightly  for  several  months,  and  as 
dear  friends  animated  by  the  same  holy  cause,  and 
drilled  as  follows  :  Every  evening  we  chose  our  most 
stalwart  member.  If  possible,  a  huge  laborer  or 
farm  hand  from  the  country ;  at  any  rate,  the  strong 
est  man  present.  And  he  was  to  take  the  part  of  a 
slaveholder.  Around  him  the  committee  appointed 
to  call  upon  the  man  hunter  would  collect  as  if 
around  a  real  slave  catcher.  After  a  short  speech 
from  the  chairman  and  one  from  the  opposite  party 

1  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Slave  Power,  Henry  Wilson. 


278  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

showing  an  indisposition  to  agree  to  the  freedom 
of  the  slave,  the  whole  committee,  on  a  preconcerted 
signal,  would  proceed  to  do  their  part  of  the  work 
of  "  kidnapping  "  him.  The  six  members  of  the 
committee  would  each  have  his  specific  duty  to  per 
form  in  conjunction  with  all  the  others,  according 
to  the  plan  given  below.  They  were  to  arrange 
themselves  as  if  accidentally  and  informally,  but  with 
the  purpose  of  laying  the  individual  flat  on  the  floor 
in  the  shortest  time  possible.  We  told  our  imaginary 
slaveholder  that  he  was  at  liberty  to  use  his  hands 
and  feet  as  vigorously  as  he  chose,  in  order  to  pre 
vent  us  from  seizing  him.  Let  us  imagine  them,  in 
the  Eevere  House  parlor,  grouped  as  a  committee, 
somewhat  as  in  this  diagram :  — 

Head. 
Eight  Arm.  Left  Arm. 

Man  Hunter. 

Right  Leg.  Left  Leg. 

Chairman. 

We  found  that  however  obstreperous  our  "  mani 
kin  "  slave  hunter  was,  we  could  lay  him  powerless 
on  the  floor  in  much  less  than  a  minute.  If  we 
could  do  so  with  a  man  prepared  beforehand  as  he 
was,  we  knew  we  could  handle  an  unsuspecting  per 
son  still  more  readily.  In  the  case  of  our  comrade, 
our  custom  was  to  carry  him  around  the  rooms  amid 
roars  of  laughter,  he  all  the  while  making  every 
effort  to  escape.  Having  done  this,  we  allowed  him 
to  be  free,  and  perhaps  selected  one  or  two  more  of 


THE  ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE  279 

our  most  stalwart  comrades,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
practice  the  committee  was  often  changed,  so  that  all 
might  become  accustomed  to  the  "  drill "  to  be  ap 
plied  to  the  man  hunter.  The  only  difference  was 
that  the  man  hunter  was  to  be  publicly  carried  to 
our  carriage,  to  be  driven  out  of  town  to  one  of  our 
lodges,  or  to  another  carriage  with  another  driver 
whom  the  first  would  not  know.  Of  course  there 
would  be  some  row  and  disturbance  in  doing  all  this, 
and  then  our  comrades  from  out  of  town  would  sur 
round  the  carriers. 

It  was  evident  that  everything  must  be  done  with 
the  utmost  secrecy,  for  various  reasons,  chiefly  for 
these  two ;  viz.,  first,  to  be  able  more  safely  to  take 
and  securely  keep  the  slave  hunter  ;  second,  to  pre 
vent,  if  possible,  our  conviction  of  any  conspiracy 
in  the  affair  of  the  kidnapping.  We  kept  our 
records  in  several  books  instead  of  one,  as  is  usual, 
and  by  peculiar  methods,  so  that  if  any  or  even  all 
of  our  books  should  be  seized  by  the  law  officers, 
they  would  be  utterly  incomprehensible  save  by  the 
initiated  into  their  mysterious  numbers,  etc.  They 
were  to  contain,  moreover,  not  a  word  indicating  the 
association  of  which  they  told  their  obscure  story. 
I  think  that  they  usually  must  have  been  in  the 
possession  of  several  persons,  one  or  more  in  the 
hands  of  different  members  of  the  league;  for  if 
one  of  them  escaped  the  vigilance  of  the  law  officers, 
there  would  be  an  utter  impossibility,  even  for  one 
of  the  initiated,  to  understand  all  their  meaning.1 

1  They  are  now  in  the  possession  of  his  family. 


280  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Meanwhile,  I  had  kept  a  box  of  "  billies "  in  my 
garret.  They  had  been  provided  for  members  of 
the  league  for  self-defense,  and  made  after  the  pat 
tern  of  oak  billies  loaded  with  lead,  prepared  by  one 
of  our  members  for  the  police  of  Lynn,  he  having 
been  mayor  of  that  city.  After  a  time  Mr.  George 
Atkinson  transferred  the  trunk  and  its  contents  to 
me,  on  the  ground  that  I  "  knew  more  about  them 
than  any  one  else  !  "  They  were  significant  tokens 
of  what  preceded  the  war,  and  of  the  terrible  means 
we  felt  obliged  to  resort  to  in  order  to  fight  off  the 
encroachments  of  the  slave  power  even  in  Massa 
chusetts.  They  proved,  moreover,  that  the  league 
meant  to  avoid  the  use  of  firearms  in  all  its  doings. 

We  fortunately  never  had  any  opportunity  of  try 
ing  our  plan.  Burns's  rendition  produced  so  much 
excitement  North  and  South  that  no  Southerner  or 
slave  driver  wished  to  come  to  Boston,  for  fear  of 
something  worse,  perhaps,  happening  to  him. 

Later,  in  reviewing  the  origin,  action,  and  final  extinc 
tion  of  the  Anti-Man-Hunting  League,  he  says,  — 

We  have  seen  it  arise,  as  the  culmination,  so  to 
speak,  of  our  anti-slavery  work,  physically  consid 
ered.  It  had  no  opportunity  for  the  real  exercise  of 
the  thought  underlying  it,  although  for  months  it 
was  ready  for  action.  Fortunately,  perhaps,  for  us 
and  for  the  slave  trader,  not  one  of  the  tribe  came 
among  us  after  that  terrible  rendition  of  Burns,  and 
finally  it  was  submerged  in  the  civil  war.  It  arose 
at  a  time  when  Massachusetts,  under  the  baleful  influ- 


THE  ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE  281 

ence  of  extreme  slavery  conservatism,  led  by  Daniel 
Webster,  supported  by  the  press  and  public  opinion 
generally,  was  devoted  to  carrying  out  in  its  most 
offensive  features  that  most  accursed  of  all  laws 
against  liberty,  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  The  "com 
promises  of  the  Constitution  "  required  us,  as  Daniel 
Webster  proclaimed  in  his  "  God-like  manner "  in 
Boston,  and  within  sight  of  Faneuil  Hall  and  Bunker 
Hill,  that  we  "must  conquer  our  prejudices,"  ignore 
the  "higher  law,"  and  infamously  submit  to  this  vile 
act  passed  by  the  slave  power.  He  urged  this  course, 
as  his  friends  claimed,  to  "  save  the  Union ; "  but  to 
do  so  we  were  to  meanly  forswear,  and,  as  it  were, 
spit  upon  our  birthright  of  liberty,  and  basely  be 
come  mere  satraps  of  the  slave  power,  and  to  join  in 
slave  hunting  in  the  old  Bay  State.  Massachusetts 
had  followed  so  vile  a  leader,  some  of  us  thought, 
already  far  too  long  a  period.  We  had  no  fear  of 
the  Union  being  destroyed ;  but  in  the  sight  of  high 
heaven  and  of  the  people  of  the  whole  earth,  Massa 
chusetts  had  declared  to  be  right  and  nobly  Chris 
tian  the  ignoble  part  she  had  so  deftly  played  in  the 
rendition  of  Sims  and  Burns.  Our  "  personal  lib 
erty  bill "  and  the  "Latimer  petitions  and  law  "  had 
apparently  effected  nothing.  Alas !  what  a  fall  was 
that  from  the  storied  memories  of  the  tea  destroyers 
or  those  of  the  victims  of  March  5,  of  Lexington 
and  of  Concord  ! 

Later  he  wrote  :  — 

It  is  impossible  even  for  us  who  were  living 
and  acting  in  those  days  to  bring  up  fuUy  at  this 


282  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

time  (1888)  before  our  minds  all  the  varied  horrors 
of  that  time.  Those  born  since  will  never  know 
or  be  able  to  conceive  of  the  feelings  that  arose  in 
the  minds  of  the  few  Abolitionists  after  the  rendi 
tion  of  Burns.  But  what  could  we,  a  despised  set 
of  "  fanatics,"  hope  to  do  in  order  to  rectify  pub 
lic  sentiment  and  to  "  nullify  "  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Law  in  Boston  ?  Nevertheless,  as  I  now  (February 
18,  1888)  look  back  upon  our  league,  it  seems  to 
me  a  most  natural  u  evolution  "  (to  use  the  modern 
scientific  term)  of  the  anti-slavery  idea.  For  the 
return  of  the  slave,  the  United  States  law  was  su 
preme,  and  it  found  willing  sycophants  to  do  its 
bidding,  and  its  own  jails  in  our  State.  For  the 
"preservation  of  peace,"  to  prevent  riot  and  prob 
ably  bloodshed,  the  governor  of  Massachusetts  would 
order  out  again  if  need  be  its  whole  militia  force  to 
make  a  pathway  for  the  slave  to  be  carried  back  to 
stripes  and  the  auction  block !  It  was  vain  to  try 
to  rescue  again  as  in  the  Shadrach  case,  and  all  legal 
efforts  had  proved  fruitless  in  preventing  a  return. 

Meetings  were  held  occasionally  at  varying  intervals, 
for  several  years  after  Burns's  rendition,  the  last  one  a 
day  or  two  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter.  With  the 
abolition  of  slavery  naturally  the  league  ceased  to  exist. 

To  enable  those  of  us  who  were  not  living  in  those  days 
of  feverish  excitement  to  better  comprehend  deeds  and 
utterances  which  may  to  some  seem  extravagant  and  ill- 
judged,  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  from  a  book  l  writ- 

1  John  Brown,  by  Hermann  Von  Hoist.  Edited  by  Frank  Preston 
Stearns.  Cupples  and  Hurd,  1889. 


THE  ANTI-MAN-HUNTING  LEAGUE  283 

ten  many  years  later  by  Mr.  Frank  Preston  Stearns,  in 
which  he  gives  the  German  historian  Von  Hoist's  estimate 
of  conditions  preceding  the  war  of  the  rebellion. 

In  an  appendix  he  says,  — 

..."  Now,  however,  as  usually  happens,  we  have  an 
ebb  tide  again.  The  opposition,  who  were  formerly  con 
strained  to  silence  by  public  opinion,  come  forward  now 
to  argue  their  views  before  a  younger  generation,  in  which 
there  dwells  a  different  spirit  from  that  of  the  war  period. 
Take  any  man  out  of  his  own  time  and  place  him  in 
another  and  he  will  appear  to  great  disadvantage.  .  .  . 
If  we  take  him  out  of  the  element  in  which  he  lived,  and 
study  him  with  the  peaceful  and  commonplace  life  of  to 
day  as  a  background,  his  actions  may  appear  monstrous, 
his  character  inhuman,  his  endeavor  a  failure.  That  is 
not  the  way  to  study  an  historical  character." 

My  father  used  to  speak  often  in  a  similar  strain  when 
recalling  those  stirring  times,  and  I  have  not  infrequently 
heard  him  say,  during  some  political  discussion  in  later 
years,  "  Why,  these  are  summer  breezes  compared  with 
what  we  went  through  in  anti-slavery  times  !  "  He  con 
fessed,  too,  that  often  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment  he 
would  pass  harsher  judgment  than  was  warranted  upon 
the  actions  of  men  who,  acting  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  consciences,  felt  obliged  to  obey  laws  the  spirit 
and  letter  of  which  they  utterly  disapproved.  If  he  had 
reason  to  change  his  opinion,  however,  I  never  knew  my 
father  to  fail  to  acknowledge  his  error. 


CHAPTER  XV 

VOYAGE   DOWN   THE    PENOBSCOT TRIP    TO 

APPLEDORE 

1856-1858 

IN  the  summer  of  1856  my  father  made  a  holiday  trip 
with  my  eldest  brother,  Nathaniel,  three  of  his  nephews, 
and  a  friend,  Mr.  John  W.  Browne,  into  the  wilds  of 
Maine ;  the  first  of  a  series  of  similar  trips  made  in  later 
years  to  the  Adirondacks  with  my  brother  Edward  and 
myself.  This  form  of  vacation  was  always  most  grateful 
to  my  father,  offering,  as  it  did,  perfect  relaxation  from 
his  medical  work  and  entire  freedom  from  the  convention 
alities  of  city  life,  under  which  he  often  seemed  to  chafe. 

This  journal  of  their  voyage  down  the  West  Branch  of 
the  Penobscot  in  birch-bark  canoes,  over  forty  years  ago,  is 
replete  with  charming  and  interesting  incidents,  all  show 
ing  his  love  of  fun,  his  intense  love  of  nature,  and  his 
interest  in  all  subjects  brought  to  his  attention. 

After  describing  a  miserable  night  on  the  Bangor 
steamer,  he  thus  proceeds  in  his  journal :  — 

We  arrived  at  Bangor  late  on  the  evening  of 
August  6th,  just  one  hour  after  the  morning  cars 
from  Boston  !  Twenty-four  hours  of  purgatory  ! 
Let  no  man  try  the  Bangor  steamer  if  the  wind  be 
from  the  northeast.  Nice  clean  sheets,  pure  water, 
excellent  food  at  the  Bangor  House ;  above  all,  gentle 


VOYAGE   DOWN   THE  PENOBSCOT  285 

thoughts  of  home,  mixed  with  high  anticipations  of 
the  delightful  trip  we  were  entering  upon,  —  all  these 
circumstances  soon  refreshed  us.  I  called  it  a  "  glo 
rious  "  beginning,  and  Browne,  in  his  quiet  way,  said 
it  was  "  not  bad."  Browne  and  I  slept  in  the  same 
room,  in  two  large,  commodious  beds.  Soon  after 
we  were  safely  ensconced  in  our  respective  quarters, 
a  ludicrous,  nay  farcical  event  took  place,  in  which 
I  was  the  principal  actor.  We  were  just  preparing 
to  drop  to  sleep,  when  we  were  aroused  by  the  sound 
of  music.  It  proved  to  come  from  a  political  pro 
cession,  and  a  large  crowd  gathered  and  halted  di 
rectly  under  our  windows,  in  front  of  the  hotel.  The 
spirit  of  broad  farce  seized  upon  me,  and  having  per 
ceived  that  anything  white  waved  from  the  window 
while  a  political  gathering  is  passing  in  the  evening 
will  always  excite  the  enthusiastic  cheers  of  the  mul 
titude  underneath,  I  determined  to  try  an  experiment 
and  to  get,  if  possible,  three  hearty  cheers  for  Fre 
mont.  Accordingly,  sheltering  myself  under  the  ob 
scurity  of  the  night,  I  thrust  my  head  out  of  the 
window  and,  flinging  out  my  white  drawers  to  the 
wind,  shouted,  as  I  made  them  flutter  from  the  win 
dow,  "  Three  cheers  for  Fremont  and  victory  !  " 
My  success  was  complete.  It  so  happened  that  the 
body  was  composed  of  Fremonters  ;  and  no  sooner 
did  I  commence  my  first  cheer  than  a  hundred  joined 
with  me,  and  a  succession  of  "  Hurrahs  "  answered 
the  invitation.  "  Well,"  said  I,  "  who  would  have 
thought  it :  that  a  pair  of  breeches  would  have  pro 
duced  so  much  commotion?"  "And  why  not?" 


286  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

said  Browne.  "  Are  you  not  a  '  medicine  man  '  and 
a  prophet,  and  did  not  the  Holy  Breeches  of  Maho 
met  and  Joe  Smith,  and  even  the  breeches  of  Marcy 
cause  much  commotion  ?  Then  wherefore  did  you 
lack  faith  in  your  own  ?  Surely  there  is  faith  to  be 
attached  to  breeches."  Laughing  heartily  at  my 
self,  and  rejoicing  that  I  still  had  the  desire  of  occa 
sionally  becoming  not  a  fool  of  a  man  but  a  laughter- 
loving  boy,  I  tumbled  again  into  bed  and  soon  fell 
fast  asleep. 

After  a  dreary  journey  in  a  drizzling  rain,  to  the  foot 
of  Moosehead  Lake,  they  arrived  at  Greenville,  and  he 
then  continues :  — 

We  heard  that  old  "  Uncle  John  Ellis,"  the  guide, 
the  pathfinder  and  hunter  of  fifty  years  in  the 
woods,  was  at  the  rival  hotel,  and  was  disturbed  at 
finding  that  he  was  not  to  be  with  us,  as  he  had 
engaged  himself  to  another  party.  I  learned  that 
Mr.  Barrows  had  retained  a  young  man  at  Kineo  for 
our  guidance,  and  as  he  had  advised  our  bringing 
canoes  with  us,  we  bought  one  beautiful  birch  which 
we  subsequently  named  Minnehaha,  and  we  hired 
another.  We  likewise  engaged  Z.  D.  Mitchell,  or 
"  Zeb  Mitchell,"  as  he  was  familiarly  styled  by  his 
other  companions,  to  go  with  us  as  the  other  guide. 
With  these  two  guides  we  started  at  nine  A.  M., 
August  8th,  in  the  little  steamer  for  Kineo  House. 
The  sail  up  the  lake  was  pleasant,  and  Browne  had 
some  conversation  with  "  Uncle  John  "  about  the 


VOYAGE  DOWN   THE  PENOBSCOT  287 

Indians.  "  I  have  always  found  them  more  honest 
than  white  men ;  they  never  steal  from  my  traps ; 
nay/'  added  he,  "they  have  done  for  me  what  I 
should  not  have  done  for  them,  for  often  have  they 
saved  for  me  a  bear-skin  ;  they  have  taken  the  ani 
mal  from  a  trap,  and  stripping  off  his  hide  have 
hung  it  out  of  harm's  way  to  dry  and  be  ready  for 
me  on  my  return  along  the  trail." 

Later  they  arrived  at  a  lodging-place  not  uncommon  in 
such  regions,  —  a  dirty  log  cabin,  and  he  thus  describes 
its  effect  upon  the  spirits  of  his  companions :  — 

It  seemed  a  sorry  place  with  which  to  commence 
our  "  life  in  the  woods."  As  we  sat  by  the  open 
door,  just  far  enough  from  it  to  get  some  air  and 
yet  avoid  the  rain,  we  looked  sad  enough,  and  doubt 
less  many  of  us  felt  the  despair  of  men  who  have 
made  a  mistake  and  yet  are  unwilling  to  confess 
the  fact  to  themselves  or  to  others.  The  lack-lustre 
eye,  the  enforced  cracking  of  a  joke,  the  miserable 
thin  laugh,  the  occasional  sigh  of  some  of  the  party, 
the  sad  countenance  of  one  who  felt  really  ill,  but 
who  was  unwilling  to  add  the  smallest  portion  of 
his  heavy  burden  upon  his  comrades,  —  all  these 
things,  I  must  say,  oppressed  me  deeply.  To  drive 
away  care  and  to  afford  some  occupation,  I  proposed 
that  we  should  arrange  our  enamel  cloths  with 
strings,  so  that  they  could  be  tied  around  our  necks 
and  act  the  part  of  umbrellas  by  day,  as  they  would 
be  our  coverings  by  night.  So  we  all  sat  down,  six 


288  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

tailors  in  a  row,  and  passed  quite  happily  an  hour. 
All  the  while  I  was  revolving  in  my  inind  how  I 
could  avoid  sleeping  in  the  dirty  hole.  There  was 
one  apartment  which  I  have  not  described ;  viz., 
a  magnificent  barn  half  filled  with  hay.  It  sud 
denly  occurred  to  me  that  there  we  had  a  most 
appropriate  place  for  all  of  us ;  and  on  the  return 
of  "  Sabbatus,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called  (Simon 
Wakefield,  the  landlord),  I  told  him  we  wanted  to 
lodge  there  and  have  a  supper  and  an  early  break 
fast  from  him.  In  the  haymow,  therefore,  we  passed 
our  first  night,  and  we  named  ij  "  Camp  Carry." 
Our  sleep  was  delicious  ;  each  one  laid  himself  down 
on  his  camp  blanket  and  slept  as  soundly  and  as 
well  as  a  brood  of  swallows,  that  had  evidently  be 
come  too  large  and  too  many  for  their  little  home 
stead,  would  allow  us.  ...  With  all  the  noises,  we 
enjoyed  our  camp  mightily.  The  sweet  odor  of  the 
hay,  the  fresh  clear  air  of  the  night,  the  freedom 
from  the  thraldom  of  forms,  all  won  us  completely ; 
and  when  we  awoke  in  the  morning  with  the  light 
of  day  peeping  through  the  cracks  of  the  barn,  we 
by  general  consent  allowed  that  we  never  had  slept 
sounder  and  never  had  felt  brighter  on  first  awaking. 
Before  quitting  this  camp,  however,  I  desire  to 
tell  something  of  our  house  companions.  The 
woods  are  now  "  full  of  Indians,"  and  four  of  them 
were  with  us.  The  oldest,  a  tall  man  with  quiet  but 
intelligent  face,  I  conversed  with  for  some  time.  He 
was  verging  upon  sixty  years,  all  but  a  few  years 
of  which  had  been  spent  in  the  roving  Indian  life. 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  PENOBSCOT  289 

These  few  years  were  passed  previous  to  1812  in 
the  preparatory  school  at  Dartmouth  College.  He 
was  fifteen  years  of  age  when  the  war  between 
England  and  America  broke  out.  He  was  recalled 
as  a  British  subject  to  Canada,  but,  as  Browne  says, 
though  he  then  gave  up  his  literary  career  and  joy 
ously  returned  to  his  free  wild-wood  life,  "  the  grasp 
of  logic  had  seized  him."  In  spite  of  his  wanderings 
he  had  continued  to  read  and  to  reflect  on  things 
to  which  the  untutored  Indian  never  listened.  He 
made  some  interesting  remarks  on  the  Indian  tongues 
compared  with  the  English.  He  spoke  of  the  early 
traditionary  songs,  which  in  his  young  days  he  had 
often  heard  sung  by  his  old  grandmother  or  aunt, 
accompanied  by  another  upon  the  cedar  flute.  He 
thinks  even  now  in  Canada  some  of  these  songs  are 
sung.  I  urged  him  to  collect  them  and  to  write  them 
down,  as  everything  of  that  kind  relative  to  his 
people  was  deeply  interesting  to  many  of  our  people. 
He  promised  that  he  would  try  to  do  so.  "  It  is 
astonishing,"  said  he  in  his  quiet,  grave  way  —  "  it  is 
almost  like  a  miracle  to  observe  how  really  limited 
the  human  mind  is.  For  instance,  the  Indian  people 
know,  perhaps,  in  the  estimation  of  some,  but  very 
little ;  and  yet,  after  all,  perhaps  we  know,  though 
in  a  different  way,  as  much  as  the  white  race.  Our 
life  teaches  keenness  of  observation  and  skill  in 
many  things  that  tend  to  develop  the  individual  char 
acter,  and  with  none  of  which  accomplishments  are 
the  whites  acquainted.  On  the  contrary,  your  people 
have  resources  that  are  unknown  to  the  Indian.  The 


290  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

individual  man,  however,  is  not  so  very  different. 
We  observe ;  you  reflect."  I  wish  I  could  remem 
ber  one  half  the  interesting  conversation  I  had  with 
him.  The  above,  however,  will  afford  a  specimen 
of  it.  I  quitted  him  with  regret.  Louis  Assance  is 
his  name.  For  some  time,  as  I  learned,  he  attended 
Dr.  [Charles]  Jackson  in  his  geological  survey  of 
Maine.  Thus  it  happened  that  what  appeared  at 
first  sight  a  very  unpromising  place  for  camping, 
became  really  a  most  delightful  one  from  the  sweet 
ness  of  the  haymow  and  the  conversation  with  the 
Indian  old  man. 

During  the  afternoon  another  occurrence  took 
place  which  interested  me.  We  saw  our  old  friend 
Ellis  coming  back  from  his  morning  trip  up  the  West 
Branch.  Wet  and  dripping,  he  entered  the  house. 
No  luck  in  hunting ;  waters  from  above  falling,  and 
waters  below  swollen  and  rapid.  No  moose  to  be 
seen.  Altogether,  the  old  man  looked  quite  miser 
able,  and  uttered  several  ill-timed  oaths.  I  opened 
my  knapsack  and  brought  out  "  Hiawatha,"  and 
read  to  him  and  others  who  gathered  round  me 
Longfellow's  description  of  the  Building  of  the  Birch 
Canoe.  I  glanced  occasionally  at  the  small,  pine- 
knotted  face  of  the  old  man,  and  saw  it  relax  with 
serenity  and  finally  clothe  itself  with  smiles.  At 
the  termination  of  the  chapter  he  clapped  his  hands 
and  laughed  aloud,  exclaiming :  "  I  swear  that  is  a 
good  story,  and  the  best  of  it  all  is  that  every  word 
is  true."  I  was  delighted  to  have  this  spontaneous 
tribute  from  the  wild  huntsman  to  the  genius  of  our 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  PENOBSCOT  291 

American  poet.  Afterwards  I  read  "Hiawatha's 
Wooing."  The  love  song  evidently  did  not  touch 
him  quite  so  much  as  the  birth  of  the  birch  canoe, 
and  the  reason  is  self-evident.  His  whole  life  had 
been  spent  with  birchen  craft,  and  his  soul  had  been 
but  little  attuned  to  love,  save  of  the  chase.  .  .  . 

August  10,  Sunday  morning,  seven  o'clock.  We 
prepared  to  break  up  our  camp.  One  little  inci 
dent  occurred  before  quitting  the  log  cabin  to  which 
I  will  briefly  allude.  In  starting  on  my  journey  I 
took  my  little  pocket  Bible  given  me  by  my  mother. 
It  had  been  my  companion  in  all  my  wanderings 
through  Europe.  I  had  now  taken  it  with  the  feel 
ing  that  the  proper  time  would  come  for  its  use.  I 
carried  it  in  a  pocket,  especially  devoted  to  it,  in  my 
flannel  shirt.  Like  the  red  cross  of  the  Crusader,  it 
was  a  holy  amulet  over  my  heart  by  day ;  at  night 
it  was  placed  safely  in  my  knapsack  under  my  pillow. 
I  was  sitting  at  the  open  door  of  the  cabin  when, 
for  the  first  time,  I  was  entirely  alone  with  the  boys. 
The  hour  had  come,  and  I  said,  "  Come,  boys ;  sit 
down  and  listen  to  my  story."  I  then  drew  out  the 
Bible,  told  them  of  its  reception  by  me  from  my 
mother,  of  its  various  travels,  and  that  now  it  was 
again  on  further  rambles,  and  I  wanted  them  now 
to  let  me  open  it  and  read  a  few  words  to  them  in 
commemoration  of  the  day.  Silently  they  sat  and 
listened,  while,  opening  the  volume,  I  read  as  fol 
lows  :  "  0  Lord,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy  name 
in  all  the  earth."  Chosen  by  chance  !  How  fitting 
it  was  !  .  .  . 


292  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Just  started.  The  sun  is  shining  for  the  first 
time  in  many  days,  and  it  comes  to  us  glittering 
over  the  surface  of  the  now  swift-running  Penobscot. 
All  hail  to  him  as  the  representative  of  that  Divine 
Being  who  has  heretofore  guided  and  guarded  us. 
The  stream  is  about  fifteen  rods  wide.  Tall  trees,  — 
elms,  poplar,  spruce,  and  fir,  —  rising  out  of  deep 
green  shrubbery,  line  its  borders.  Nothing  is  seen 
save  the  woods,  water,  and  sky.  There  is  entire 
silence  save  the  sound  of  our  paddles  and  of  our  own 
voices,  all  of  which  are  subdued  into  harmony  with 
the  divine  loveliness  of  the  hour.  A  crane,  engaged 
in  his  morning  excursion  for  prey,  sails  sluggishly 
on  before  us. 

The  landscape  changes  constantly  with  each  turn 
of  the  winding  river.  Our  canoes  float  gracefully, 
each  having  its  peculiar  characteristics.  Leading 
the  van  goes  our  beautiful  Minnehaha.  Its  perfectly 
new  yellow  bark  striped  in  its  seams  with  dark  pitch, 
its  high  prow  and  stem,  its  delicately  rounded  form 
and  loftier  gunwale,  points  it  out  as  the  most  fitting 
leader.  Browne  watches  her  with  admiration,  and 
declares  she  floats  along  like  an  antique  Grecian 
galley.  Following,  about  five  or  six  rods  astern, 
comes  our  Nokomis,  with  its  cerulean  color,  tight, 
and  light  as  a  feather,  guided  by  our  bright  and 
roguish  "  Tim,"  and  bringing  up  the  rear  comes 
"  Jack  "  in  his  little,  rounded,  plump  Hiawatha.  Its 
hue  is  of  purple,  and,  like  its  helmsman,  seems  burst 
ing  with  new  wine.  It  is  smaller  than  the  others 
and  sits  like  a  duck  upon  the  water ;  its  form,  though 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  PENOBSCOT  293 

graceful  and  peculiar,  is  less  fitted  for  speed  than 
either  of  the  others,  as  I  found  to  my  cost  at  the 
latter  part  of  my  journey. 

Now  the  banks  appear  covered  with  the  same 
eternal  verdure  of  the  lofty  trees,  and  added  there 
unto  are  long  trailing  branches  of  clematis  and  the 
beautiful  squaw  [?]  bush,  with  its  clear  white  clusters 
of  berries  dropping  almost  into  the  water,  and  grow 
ing  with  the  utmost  luxuriance.  Tall  dead  trees 
stretch  out  their  leafless  branches  from  amid  the 
general  verdure,  and  from  them  drop  delicate  pend 
ants  of  gray  moss.  Some  of  these  dead  monarchs 
of  the  forest  arise  stately  and  solemn ;  others  lean 
over  towards  the  stream,  while  others  still  seem  tot 
tering  towards  their  final  fall.  Echo  answers  to  our 
cheer.  The  whistle  of  the  boys  comes  back  to  them 
with  renewed  sweetness.  The  joyous  clap  of  our 
hands  sounds  like  the  distant  woodman's  axe.  A 
solitary  kingfisher  flits  across  our  way,  and  soon 
after  a  couple  of  ducks  attract  our  notice,  and  we 
long  to  try  our  guns  upon  them.  .  .  .  Four  ducks 
seem  swimming  across  our  bow ;  all  excitement  — 
calls  for  guns  —  all  of  them  loaded  with  balls.  Little 
zeal  for  the  hunt  evidenced  by  our  guides.  Some  of 
us,  perhaps,  were  willing  to  have  the  birds  escape.  I 
had  a  sort  of  peckish  feeling  in  my  teeth  ! 

Meanwhile  we  gave  chase,  with  our  paddles  fly 
ing  vigorously.  When  one  of  the  guns  had  been 
reloaded  and  we  came  sufficiently  near,  the  birds 
suddenly  arose  upon  the  wing ;  and  if  they  had  had 


294  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

thumbs  to  put  to  their  noses  in  silent  contempt  for 
us,  they  would  certainly  have  used  them  as  they  flew 
down  the  river.  .  .  . 

Ten  A.  M.  We  all  prepared  our  tackle  and  I 
commenced  my  first  fly-fishing  !  Frank  did  splen 
didly,  and  in  a  few  minutes  took  eleven  chubs  !  I 
was  last,  and,  after  much  endeavor,  I  arranged  my 
rod  and  line  with  many  struggles  of  benevolence 
and  conscience  against  the  idea  of  fishing  "  for  fun." 
I  met  with  my  usual  luck  and  got  no  bite  save  some 
straggling  eel  grass.  At  last,  by  chance,  I  observed 
the  private  mark  that  was  written  on  my  reel,  and 
which  mark  had  previously  escaped  my  notice.  Was 
it  an  omen,  or  how  happened  it  to  have  remained  un 
seen  until  that  moment  ?  Whatever  was  the  cause 
of  my  previous  blindness,  I  took  it  as  a  significant 
indication  that  I  must  cease  fishing  when  I  saw  upon 
my  reel,  written  as  if  by  the  hand  of  magic,  the  ex 
pressive  letters  "  Ass." 

An  attempt  to  ascend  Mount  Katahdin  was  made  dur 
ing  this  trip,  which  might  have  ended  disastrously  for  the 
party,  who  had  not  realized  the  difficulties  which  lay  be 
fore  them.  Not  only  did  the  guides  lose  their  way,  but 
no  water  was  obtained  for  many  hours  and  the  supply 
of  food  was  short.  The  consequent  exhaustion  of  some 
of  the  party  was  such  as  to  give  my  father  naturally  the 
keenest  solicitude  lest  any  disaster  should  befall  those 
intrusted  to  his  care.  He  thus  alludes  to  the  trip,  which 
contained  much  to  interest  and  delight  him  even  in  the 
midst  of  anxiety. 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  PENOBSOOT      295 

Long  will  the  Kapagenus  "carry"  be  remem 
bered  with  a  kind  of  horror  by  all  of  us.  Guides 
and  travelers  alike  were  thoroughly  Weary  when, 
after  a  whole  day's  work  upon  the  three  miles,  we 
finally  laid  ourselves  down  in  a  camp  of  wet  leaves 
by  the  side  of  roaring  falls*  We  lost  our  way  at 
times  while  following  the  wrong  or  obscure  trail, 
which  the  wild  Indian  and  logmen  had  left  along 
the  track.  These  Indian  trails  are  deeply  interesting 
to  me  ;  they  consist  of  very  narrow  paths  on  each  side 
of  the  Penobscot  from  its  sources  down  to  the  regions 
of  civilization.  At  times  they  are  hidden  by  bushes, 
but  generally,  by  keeping  the  eye  fixed  about  ten 
feet  in  advance,  we  could  recognize  the  old  marks  of 
depression  below  the  adjacent  soil.  The  guides  were 
very  keen  in  recognizing  where  men  had  passed,  and 
we  became  much  more  skillful  in  consequence  of 
this  day's  journey.  These  trails  are  interesting  to 
us  as  the  relics  of  the  Indians,  and  as  they  usually 
follow  the  shortest  courses,  may  be  presumed  to  have 
been  used  as  pathways  for  centuries  before  the  white 
man  began  to  tread  them.  Our  party  sought  them 
as  the  sole  way  for  transportation.  For  days  to 
come  we  shall  have  no  other  tracks  save  those  trails 
and  the  course  formed  by  our  birches  in  the  waters 
of  the  Penobscot. 

August  13.  The  more  I  look  at  it,  and  con 
sider  the  birch  canoe  in  its  relation  to  the  Indian, 
the  more  I  am  charmed  with  it.  I  have  fallen  in 
love  with  it.  It  is  as  beautiful  an  object  to  my 


296  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

mind  as  the  nest  of  the  robin  or  of  the  bluebird,  and 
an  offspring  of  the  instinct  of  man,  as  they  are  the 
results  of  the  instinct  of  the  bird.  The  Indian,  sur 
rounded  by  almost  impenetrable  forests,  finds  the 
running  stream,  which  offers  her  bosom  to  convey 
him  from  one  hunting  ground  to  another.  He  needs 
something  to  float  upon ;  he  sees  the  leaf,  laden,  it 
may  be,  with  a  tiny  cargo,  floating  down  the  stream, 
and  the  thought  of  a  leaf  large  enough  to  carry  him 
naturally  suggests  itself.  He  has  no  implements, 
but  he  gazes  around,  and  he  sees  the  huge  trunks  of 
birch  everywhere  peeling  off  their  barks  as  if  offer 
ing  themselves  to  him.  He  strips  the  bark  in  one 
piece  from  around  the  whole  circumference  of  one 
of  the  largest  trees.  The  cradle  of  the  canoe  is  thus 
given  ready-made  to  his  hand,  and  he  has  only  to 
unite  the  two  ends  to  make  a  perfect  boat,  which  he 
finds  will  sustain  a  heavy  weight.  He  knows  the 
toughness  and  pliability  of  the  root  fibre  of  another 
forest  tree,  and  with  sharp  thorns  he  pierces  the  deli 
cate  bark  and  sews  up  the  bow  and  stern,  and  by 
and  by  nicely  fits  the  seams  so  as  to  make  the  curves 
more  graceful ;  and  lo !  while  sewing,  perhaps,  he 
perceives  the  pitch  from  the  fir-tree,  and  with  this 
he  closes  up  all  leakages.  He  scratches  his  cabalistic 
mark  upon  the  sides,  and  to  make  it  more  firm  he 
places  strips  of  ash  and  ribs  of  walnut,  all  of  which 
he  sews  nicely  to  the  covering.  Rejoicing,  he  takes 
it  upon  his  head,  and  leaving  the  door  of  his  wig 
wam,  launches  the  new  being  upon  the  adjacent 
stream,  and,  trusting  to  the  Great  Spirit,  wends  his 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  PENOBSCOT      297 

way.  Truly  if  the  bird  is  taught  immediately  by 
God  how  to  build  her  nest,  so  is  the  Indian  led 
by  the  same  power  to  build  his  canoe.  Everything 
that  is  necessary  is  there ;  all  superfluity  is  despised. 
The  treatment  which  the  canoe  necessarily  received 
from  its  wild  owner,  it  would  seem,  must  tend  to 
develop  in  his  nature  a  certain  chivalrous  delicacy  of 
feeling  which,  without  his  canoe,  he  might  not  have. 
The  Indian  is  taught  gentleness  by  every  hour  spent 
in  his  canoe.  He  places  it  with  all  gentleness  on 
the  water ;  he  lifts  it  upon  his  back  as  Paul  did 
Virginia,  and  replaces  it  with  the  greatest  care  upon 
the  greensward.  From  all  rough  sand  or  rock  he 
preserves  it.  When  preparing  for  the  voyage  he 
steps  with  the  greatest  caution  and  lightness  into 
the  very  centre  of  it,  and  during  his  whole  course  he 
keeps  his  body  well  balanced  and  vertical,  resting 
not  at  all  upon  one  side  more  than  the  other.  When 
ever  he  stops,  he  draws  his  birch  ashore  and  gently 
presses  all  the  wounds  that  were  received,  or  again 
spreads  pitch  over  its  bruises.  He  seems  to  fondle 
over  it.  Ferocity  and  delicacy  join  hands  in  the 
treatment  of  this  exquisite  little  offspring  from  the 
simplest  instincts  of  man.  Blessings  on  the  beauti 
ful  Minnehaha,  for  during  my  voyage  she  has  con 
stantly  been  pouring  into  my  soul  some  of  the 
purest  of  my  thoughts  ! 

One  of  these  spots  was  very  beautiful  as  we 
paddled  slowly  past.  A  narrow  opening  led  into  a 
space  nearly  a  mile  in  breadth  of  perfectly  level 


298  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

green,  except  that  here  and  there  water  was  percep 
tible  in  it,  and  surrounding  it  were  lofty  forest  trees, 
through  long  vistas  of  which  we  could  occasionally 
get  a  glimpse  of  impassable  wood.  They  seemed 
fitted  by  their  glorious  sylvan  arches  for  the  resi 
dence  of  the  gods,  and  I  could  comprehend  quite 
easily  how  the  ancients  were  led  to  believe  in  wood 
nymphs  and  water  deities,  and  more  modern  times 
peopled  such  places  with  fairies.  There  was  no 
sound  of  living  things  except  the  chirp  of  one  soli 
tary  bird  heard  during  the  whole  passage.  The 
solemn  silence  of  the  place  had  a  similar  effect  upon 
the  whole  party.  One  after  the  other  felt  an  irre 
sistible  impulse  to  sleep,  although  desirous  of  keep 
ing  awake  to  enjoy  the  scene.  We  seemed  drugged 
by  some  fairy  potion.  For  myself,  in  my  endeavors 
to  resist,  I  fell  into  a  kind  of  enchanted  sleep ;  I 
seemed  to  be  floating  amidst  green  fields  and  over 
tranquil  waters,  drawn  by  fairy  fingers  in  beautiful 
rainbow  skiffs.  "  Jack  "  became  a  jolly  river  god. 
Our  beautiful  Minnehaha  was  a  nautilus  shell,  and  the 
scarlet  jackets  of  the  boys,  as  they  flitted  dreamily 
before  my  eyes,  were  the  delicate-tinged  propellers 
of  the  little  navigator.  Surely  that  experience  of  an 
hour  was  a  unique  hour  of  my  life  ! 

Later  he  speaks  of  his  experience  while  reading  from  his 
mother's  Bible. 

By  the  dim  twilight  I  had  chosen  three  pas 
sages  ;  viz.,  4th  chapter  of  Proverbs,  133d  Psalm, 
and  also  the  121st.  Of  course  I  had  felt  anxious. 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  PENOBSCOT  299 

The  responsibilities  of  getting  the  youths  committed 
to  me  safely  home  were  accumulating  upon  me,  and 
I  thought  to  gain  strength  and  to  give  strength. 
Much  to  my  surprise,  I  had  not  proceeded  farther 
than  the  third  verse  in  the  Proverbs,  "  For  I  was  my 
father's  son,  tender  and  only  beloved/'  etc.,  when 
all  the  delightful  recollections  of  my  childhood  and 
all  the  actual  burdens  resting  upon  me,  together 
with  the  possibility  of  some  fatal  termination  to  our 
course,  completely  unmanned  me.  Tears  choked  me 
as  I  ceased.  Finally  I  said,  "  My  boys,  the  thought 
of  my  early  days  and  of  my  sweet  mother  prevents 
me.  Let  us  leave  it."  I  then  turned  to  that  beauti 
ful  passage  where  the  Psalmist  describes  "  How  good 
and  pleasant  it  is  for  brothers  to  dwell  together  in 
unity,"  etc.,  and  I  read  it  with  freedom ;  but  when 
I  suddenly  passed  to  that  sublime  strain  "  I  will 
lift  up  mine  eyes  unto  the  hills  from  whence  cometh 
my  help,"  etc.,  I  felt  the  divine  influence  of  the 
Almighty  resting  upon  me.  No  fear  or  doubt  stayed 
with  me,  but  instead,  a  holy  trust.  I  committed  my 
boys  and  myself  to  his  keeping,  and  I  arose  strong 
as  a  lion  and  with  full  confidence  in  his  guidance. 
With  elastic  step  and  bright  voice,  I  sprang  to  my 
feet,  and  crying  out,  "  Come,  boys,  we  are  now 
ready  for  anything,"  ran  rapidly  to  our  canoes.  As 
a  religious  experience,  I  would  not  for  anything  have 
missed  the  reading  and  the  influence  of  that  hour. 

Our  path  led  along  swift  and  falling  waters. 
Zeb  reconnoitred  and  ran  through  safely.  Tim  and 
Jack  shipped  seas  and  wet  all  our  luggage,  and 


300  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

amongst  other  things  all  of  Browne's  allowance  of 
bread.  We  soon,  however,  came  out  into  a  quiet 
open  lake  at  6.10  A.  M.  Then  a  golden  sight !  On 
our  left  far  to  the  southeast  we  saw  rising  from  amid 
the  trees  on  the  borders  of  the  lake  a  little  blue 
smoke.  All  hearts  were  gladdened  as  we  passed  the 
word  from  one  birch  to  another.  Zeb,  leading  us, 
steered  directly  for  the  point.  We  all  hurried  after 
him,  rounded  a  promontory  in  the  lake,  and  were 
delighted  at  perceiving  a  bateau  at  the  shore  and 
four  men  encamped  near  by  eating  their  breakfast. 
Never  were  we  so  rejoiced  to  see  the  face  of  human 
beings.  .  .  . 

In  conclusion,  I  wiU  say  that  having  traveled 
thousands  of  miles  in  the  fairest  portions  of  Europe, 
having  listened  to  the  still  voice  of  Nature  as  it 
speaks  to  my  own  heart  in  the  highlands  of  Scot 
land  with  Burns  and  Scott  for  my  companions,  in 
the  mountains  of  Switzerland  with  their  Alpine 
grandeur,  along  the  fair  fields  of  Normandy,  and 
finally  amid  the  ruins  of  ancient  and  of  modern 
Italy,  —  at  no  time  and  in  no  place  and  under  no 
circumstances  have  I  heard  that  voice  sound  so  sol 
emnly  or  so  sweetly  as  during  this  voyage  down  the 
Penobscot.  It  comes  up  before  me  now  like  the 
cadence  of  a  great  choral  hymn.  Thanks  be  to 
God  for  this  richest  experience  of  my  life  !  Thanks 
be  to  Him  that  the  memories  of  it  will  always  form  a 
part  of  my  future  being. 

In  1858  he  made  his  first  visit  to  the  Isles  of  Shoals 
with  my  brother  Edward,  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  sub- 


TRIP  TO  APPLEDORE  301 

sequent  visits  and  a  warm  friendship  with  the  Leightons 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levi  Thaxter.  His  love  of  fun  and 
frolic  are  well  shown  in  the  following  letters  to  his 

wife :  — 

APPLEDORE,  August  14,  1858. 

To-day  Mr.  Leighton  told  me  two  facts  that  are 
curious,  and  seem  to  indicate  that  the  island  on 
which  Appledore  House  is  situated  was  at  some  pre 
vious  time  beneath  the  waves.  In  digging  his  cellar 
he  found,  four  feet  below  the  surface,  a  regular  ma 
rine  beach,  with  all  the  usual  shells  and  algce  com 
monly  found  in  such  places.  This  sea  beach  was  at 
least  ten  feet  above  the  present  high-water  mark. 
It  was  covered  with  the  shells,  muscles,  and  cockles 
like  what  are  now  found  in  the  islands.  This  fact 
proves  the  gradual  rising,  within  a  period  less  than 
a  geological  period,  of  the  whole  land.  Again,  ten 
years  ago,  while  painting  the  balcony  on  top  of  the 
hotel,  Mr.  Leighton  remarked  that  he  could  just  see 
a  certain  part  of  the  meeting-house  of  Gosport  over 
the  summit  of  Appledore  on  Hog  Island.  Two  years 
afterwards  the  villagers  wanted  to  know  what  he 
had  been  doing  to  his  cupola,  for  instead  of  seeing 
only  the  top  of  it,  they  were  able  to  see  consider 
ably  more.  Mr.  Leighton  immediately  examined  and 
found  that  he  could  see  the  ledge  on  which  the 
church  stands.  Now,  the  trouble  about  this  fact  is 
that  perhaps  there  were  a  few  bushes  on  the  top  of 
Appledore  at  the  first  looking  out,  which  bushes  had 
been  destroyed  before  the  second  observation.  Mr. 
Leighton  does  not  believe  it  to  have  been  so,  but  he 


302  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

is  unwilling  to  declare  it  was  not  so,  although  from 
the  fact  that  no  shrubs  can  grow  now  on  the  top  of 
the  ledge  he  does  not  believe  they  could  have  ex 
isted  at  his  first  observation.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the 
whole  matter  presenting  a  subject  for  interesting 
investigation,  I  propose  to-morrow  to  carry  up  some 
stones  left  by  United  States  officers,  and  place  them 
on  the  summit  of  part  of  our  island,  and  get  a  cer 
tain  point  of  our  cupola  in  a  direct  line  with  that 
and  the  ridgepole  of  the  church.  So  you  see,  wher 
ever  I  am  I  find  something  to  interest  and  instruct 
me. 

August  17, 1858. 

Yesterday  I  created,  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Richard 
son  and  Dr.  Clarke,  a  cairn  upon  the  summit  of  our 
island  in  a  direct  line  between  our  hotel  cupola  and 
the  top  of  the  church  at  Gosport.  We  erected  it 
in  order  to  measure  if  any  change  occurs  from  year 
to  year  in  the  relative  elevation  of  the  two  islands. 
The  whole  distance  from  our  hotel  to  the  church  is 
about  a  mile  and  a  half,  air-line ;  something  curious 
may  result  in  future  years. 

And  now  for  the  sea  serpent.  Mr.  Leighton  has 
seen  him  twice  and  swears  by  him.  The  first  time, 
the  animal  passed  him  in  the  morning  while  in  a 
fishing-boat.  The  head  was  seen  only  at  its  back 
part,  but  the  body,  as  big  as  a  hogshead,  was  dis 
tinctly  seen,  and  even  so  near  as  to  show  the  special 
muscular  motions,  as  with  a  vermicular  movement 


TRIP  TO  APPLEDORE  303 

the  creature  went  through  the  water  at  about  twenty 
miles  an  hour.  At  first  the  party  was  rather  terri 
fied.  The  snake  veered  off  as  it  approached  the  boat, 
giving  it  a  wide  berth.  The  creature  surprised  the 
crews  of  several  craft  the  same  morning.  Among 
these  was  a  poor  tin  peddler,  who  was  so  frightened 
by  the  head  being  erected  above  the  water,  that  he 
vowed  he  would  not  return  by  the  same  route,  and 
did  actually  return  by  the  way  of  Gloucester.  Sub 
sequently  Mr.  Leighton  saw  the  snake  again,  and 
the  same  results  followed  both  visits;  viz.,  there 
was  a  total  destruction  of  the  mackerel  fishing  from 
four  to  six  weeks  after  the  visits  of  the  monster.  .  .  . 
On  Thursday  we  mean  to  have  a  Venetian  meet 
ing.  The  whole  party  of  forty  or  fifty  will  embark 
in  our  flotilla  of  boats,  with  the  singers  in  two  of 
them  to  respond  to  each  other.  We  shall  have  Ro- 
man  candles  and  fireworks  and  committees  and  lord 
high  admirals,  etc.  We  mean  to  have  a  glorious 
time.  I  only  wish  you  were  here  to  enjoy  it  with 
me. 

August  18. 

But  the  evening  burlesque  capped  the  climax. 
News  came  of  the  transmission  of  the  messages  of 
the  Queen  and  the  President,  so  forthwith  we  dis 
patched  a  special  messenger  to  Boston  to  get  rockets 
and  Roman  candles  and  tar  barrels  for  to-morrow 
evening,  and  Miss  Barbara  got  up  a  spontaneous 
"bal  masque  et  pare.  I,  having  appealed  in  vain 
to  Cedric  to  get  sufficient  kelp  to  cover  me  as  Nep- 


304  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

tune,  decided  to  appear  as  simple  bourgeois.  I  was 
requested,  however,  to  inform  the  company  of  the 
existence  of  a  certain  witch  and  of  the  possibility 
of  her  appearance  ;  and  while  telling  of  her  terrible 
deeds  and  of  there  being  no  running  stream  between 
her  house  and  our  hotel,  in  rushed  a  fantastic  look 
ing  personage,  who  made  sundry  solemn  and  awful 
grins,  and  opened  her  great  black  eyes  over  us  in 
a  most  savage  manner  and  gradually  glided  away. 
She  shortly  reappeared  in  the  shape  of  a  pretty  little 
sailor  boy.  Miss  Barbara  was  perfect  as  an  Italian 
lady  in  a  black  domino  and  full  suit  of  black  and 
silk  mantilla  headdress.  We  had  a  beautiful  Span 
ish  bride  and  her  pretty  page,  a  young  princess  and 
her  lover,  a  Neapolitan  girl  with  her  jaunty  head 
dress,  formed  evidently  from  a  common  towel.  The 
dancing  commenced  quickly.  My  time  had  not  yet 
come.  But  suddenly  appeared,  sailing  into  the  salon, 
an  immensely  fat  "  lady  of  the  olden  times,"  that  is, 
a  gentleman  dressed  up  in  Mrs.  Leighton's  clothes. 
The  gown  hung  loosely,  and  altogether  there  was 
so  much  of  laughter-loving  farce  about  the  whole 
deportment,  that  I  most  gallantly  invited  the  divine 
creature  to  dance  !  I  did  so  with  my  hand  upon  my 
heart  and  in  the  most  tender  and  delicate  tones  I 
could  summon.  She  politely  informed  me  that  she 
danced  only  the  Virginia  Reel.  I  of  course  was  de 
lighted.  She  was  very  much  overcome  by  the  heat 
and  her  exertions,  and  I  fanned  her  with  my  coat 
tails  and  called  upon  the  company  for  smelling  bot 
tles,  as  she  was  faint.  With  that,  half  a  dozen  vol- 


TRIP  TO  APPLEDORE  305 

unteered  to  fan.  Finally  we  resumed  the  dance  and 
I  went  into  the  "  light  fantastic  toe  "  style  of  dan 
cing.  Nearly  lost  one  slipper  and  wholly  lost  my 
breath,  retaining  only  enough  to  enable  me  to  escort 
my  inamorata  out  of  the  room.  It  was  capitally 
done  by  Mr.  Parker.  I  actually  roared  and  screamed 
with  merriment. 

.  .  .  August  20.  The  glorious  fete  for  the  At 
lantic  Telegraph  has  gone  off  with  perfection  in  all 
its  parts,  excepting  the  usual  croaking  of  a  few  of 

the  company.     F ,  for  instance,  when  I  asked 

him  to  subscribe  for  the  fireworks,  said  he  would  give 
two  dollars  to  stop  the  whole  matter ;  and  another 
croaking  lieutenant  talked  of  being  so  tired  that  he 
felt  more  like  going  to  bed  than  going  on  the  water. 
I  quietly  remarked  that  I  thought  he  would  do  well 
to  go  to  bed,  as  doubtless  he  would  not  be  abso 
lutely  necessary.  All  these  little  mosquito  troubles, 
however,  were  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  really 
pleasant  helping  forward  of  the  matter  evinced  by 
others.  The  host  and  hostess  also  did  everything 
in  their  "power  to  aid  us.  You  will  see  by  our  pro 
gramme  that  we  intended  to  make  a  display  in  fun 
and  frolic,  and  at  the  same  time  some  beauty.  For 
tune  favored  us  at  first  with  a  perfectly  smooth  sea 
and  a  full  tide.  The  "  Commodore's  "  boat  leading 
the  fleet,  we  proceeded  from  the  wharf,  and  a  choir 
of  voices  commenced  singing  "  God  save  the  Queen." 
The  signal  candle  from  the  commodore  set  all  of 
us  at  work  with  our  Koman  candles.  Tar  barrels 
were  lighted  and  rockets  were  sent  up.  Eesponsive 


306  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDlTCH 

illuminations  on  Hampton  Beach  and  Rye  appeared 
soon.  Boats  from  Portsmouth  and  Newburyport 
saluted  us.  The  latter,  a  schooner,  bore  down  and 
joined  its  fireworks  with  ours.  Altogether  it  was 
a  magnificent  scene.  Rather  terrific  at  one  time  it 
became.  It  was  quite  dark,  the  moon  being  gradu 
ally  obscured,  when  all  at  once  the  boat  under  Com 
mander  Daniel  Clarke,  U.  S.  Senate,  appeared  on 
fire !  There  were  no  ladies  in  it.  The  Roman 
candles  by  some  unfortunate  accident  caught  fire  and 
the  magazine  exploded.  For  a  moment  there  seemed 
danger,  but  the  sailors  seized  the  whole  bundle,  and 
after  shooting  in  fiery  indignation  a  few  moments 
about  the  prow  of  the  vessel,  the  light  sank  into 
the  waves.  We  remained  out,  singing  and  rowing, 
for  about  half  an  hour.  We  returned,  and  as  we 
came  to  the  wharf,  Mr.  Bigelow  christened  the 
barge  by  the  appropriate  title  of  Neptune.  It  is  a 
great  eight-oared  boat  usually  employed  for  land 
ing  passengers.  A  champagne  bottle  of  salt  water 
was  broken  over  her  bow.  The  whole  party  then 
marched,  rather  tumultuously,  it  is  true,  to  the  hotel, 
singing  Yankee  Doodle.  As  soon  as  we  were  fairly 
in  the  salon,  a  Mr.  B.  B.  French,  formerly  clerk  of 
the  United  States  House  of  Representatives,  read  a 
song  in  favor  of  the  Telegraph,  to  the  time  of  our 
march.  We  gave  three  cheers  for  Mr.  French  and 
had  the  song  sung,  all  joining  in  the  chorus.  We 
cheered  the  "  commodore,"  etc.,  and  were  soon  in 
quite  boisterous  mirth.  Suddenly  the  horn  of  the 
hotel  sounded,  and  Neptune,  Mrs.  Neptune,  and  their 


TRIP  TO  APPLEDORE  307 

three  young  Neptunes  as  sea  deities,  of  whom  our 
Ned  was  one,  appeared.  Neptune,  by  Mr.  Gilbert  of 
Boston,  was  a  work  of  art.  His  beard,  of  long  and 
finely-formed  trailing  kelp,  hung  down  upon  his 
breast,  and  his  whole  form  was  covered  by  various 
kinds  of  seaweed,  lobster,  starfishes,  etc.,  so  that 
with  his  trident  tipped  with  lobster  claws  he  looked 
quite  as  if  just  arrived  from  coral  groves.  Mrs.  Nep 
tune,  in  the  form  of  Mr.  McGuinness  of  St.  Louis, 
personated  his  (her)  part  admirably.  The  three 
kelpies  or  young  Neptunes  roared  occasionally  in 
most  unearthly  style.  My  gallantry  was  again 
aroused  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  with  hand  on  my 
heart  I  begged  the  pleasure  of  a  dance  with  her 
Majesty.  Owing  to  her  extreme  frailty  of  form  and 
general  constitution  of  dress,  it  was  evident  that 
the  broad  flourish  of  my  mode  of  dancing  was  liable 
to  greatly  incommode  her  Majesty's  robes ;  and  as 
she  assured  me  that  any  undue  energy  on  her  (his) 
part  might  cause  a  catastrophe  to  her  light  habili 
ments,  I  was  compeUed  to  restrain  my  zeal.  After 
dancing  a  short  time,  the  Hon.  Daniel  Clarke  of  the 
United  States  Senate  came  in  and  made  a  speech  to 
Neptune ;  asked  him  why  he  had  broken  the  cable 
twice  and  bothers  so  much.  To  this  Neptune  re 
plied  that  he  had  done  so  to  try  human  patience. 
Mr.  Clarke  then  proceeded,  and  hoped  that  he  would 
let  it  He  quietly,  etc.,  etc.  Neptune  solemnly  replied, 
"  So  long  as  it  is  used  for  the  purpose  of  peace,  so 
long  shall  it  lie  and  bless  the  world ;  but  if  at  any 
time  war  is  to  be  promoted,  then  shall  men  hear  my 


308  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

thunder."  With  that  the  three  kelpies  roared  a 
most  Neptunian  growl.  Subsequently  we  resumed 
dancing,  and  I  "  let  on  "  in  the  broad  farce  extra 
ordinaire  till  ten  o'clock.  I  flirted  with  Mrs.  Nep 
tune,  cast  "  sheep's  eyes "  at  her,  till  the  company 
roared  with  laughter.  I  finished  with  a  most  flighty 
Virginia  Reel  with  Mrs.  Clapp,  a  bright  old  lady, 
whom  I  chased  around  through  the  figure,  nearly 
losing  all  my  breath  and  my  dignity  at  the  same 
time.  Mrs.  Leighton,  fat  and  merry,  laughed  till  I 
thought  she  would  have  an  attack  of  apoplexy,  and 
the  Star  Islanders,  who  had  all  gathered  in  the  adja 
cent  room,  looked  on  in  mute  amazement,  with  occa 
sional  bursts  of  unsuppressed  laughter.  I  forgot  to 
say  that  my  dress  as  commander  of  one  of  the  boats 
was  kelp  down  each  leg  of  pantaloons,  the  same  around 
the  waist  in  the  form  of  a  sash ;  a  large  shell  rested 
as  breast  pin  on  my  white  shirt  bosom.  A  Scotch 
plaid,  arranged  in  Highland  fashion,  covered  my 
shoulders  ;  no  vest  or  coat.  My  hat,  trimmed  with 
seaweed,  bore  on  each  side  a  little  lobster's  body 
and  open  claws  !  Admiral  of  the  Ked  !  At  ten  I 
was  in  bed  with  Ned.  The  next  day  I  prepared  to 
return  to  my  own  sweet  home,  ready  for  work,  all 
the  better  for  the  week  of  folly  (as  most  people 
would  call  it)  I  had  spent.  I  call  it  no  folly,  but  a 
wise  and  genial  philosophy  that  compels  a  man  to 
play  at  times  as  well  as  work. 

About  two  months  later,  in  October,  1858,  the  family 
removed  to  a  house  just  around  the  corner  of  Otis  Place, 
at  15  Winthrop  Place,  now  Devonshire  Street,  previous 


TRIP  TO  APPLEDORE  309 

to  the  demolition  of  the  old  house  for  the  purpose  of  open 
ing  a  new  street  to  Franklin  Street.  He  writes  to  Dr. 
Thayer  :  — 

BOSTON,  October  26,  1858. 

We  are  now  at  15  Winthrop  Place ;  "  No.  8  " 
has  been  razed.  Nothing  is  left  of  the  library  in 
which  I  passed  some  of  my  happiest  hours.  So 
everything  passes  away,  and  we  are  ourselves  all  un 
consciously  gliding  rapidly  onward  toward  the  time 
when  others  will  take  our  places  and  we  shall  be 
known  no  more  save  in  the  recesses  of  a  few  friendly 
hearts.  There  is  something  melancholy  in  this  rapid 
course  of  time,  yet  time  has  done  more  for  me  than 
I  had  ever  hoped.  My  life  has  been  and  still  is  a 
beautiful  mystery.  I  have  been  eternally  anticipat 
ing  evil,  yet  good  has  always  come,  even  from  what 
seemed  the  greatest  evil.  Among  the  sweet  experi 
ences  of  my  life  have  been  my  friendships.  Among 
these  I  cherish  that  of  Ellen  and  yourself  as  among 
the  brightest  of  my  pearls.  I  often  send  off  to  you 
both  spiritual  messages,  and  I  suppose  you  receive 
them,  for  you  seem  to  love  me.  Olivia  sends  much 
love,  and  believe  me  ever  affectionately  the  friend 
of  both  of  you. 

H.  I.  B. 


CHAPTEE  XVI 

TRIP   TO  EUROPE 

1859 

IN  1859  my  father  went  abroad  with  my  sister,  and, 
leaving  her  with  my  uncle  in  London,  visited  the  continent, 
where  he  wished  to  show  the  instrument  devised  by  Dr. 
Wyman  for  tapping  the  chest. 

It  was  during  this  visit  that  he  first  met  Dr.  William 
T.  Gairdner  .of  Glasgow,1  an  acquaintance  which  ripened 
into  a  warm  friendship.  Later  he  also  met  Dr.  Budd  of 
King's  College,  London.  He  always  alluded  to  them  as 
the  two  who  at  that  time  received  his  views  upon  para- 
centesis  with  courtesy  and  interest.  Although  several 
years  his  junior,  they  were  both  at  that  time  giving  evi 
dence  of  the  eminence  which  they  have  since  attained  in 
the  profession. 

In  marked  contrast  to  their  behavior  was  that  of  two  of 
the  most  celebrated  professors  of  Vienna  who,  upon  being 
shown  the  instrument,  roughly  turned  their  backs,  sneered, 
and  refused  to  listen  to  my  father's  views,  behavior  which 
made  my  father  ever  after  feel  the  greatest  contempt  for 
the  character  of  these  men  justly  celebrated  for  their 
medical  knowledge. 

Later  he  went  to  the  north  of  England  with  my  sister 
and  aunt,  and  during  this  time  visited  the  house  of  Miss 
Harriet  Martineau  and  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  former 

1  Recently  Sir  William  T.  Gairdner  of  Edinburgh. 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  311 

home  of  Wordsworth,  for  whose  memory,  both  as  man  and 
poet,  he  had  the  deepest  reverence. 

JOURNAL  LETTER  TO  HIS  WIFE. 

LEIPSIC,  April  21,  1859. 

I  was  received  like  a  prince  at  the  Hotel  du  Nord 
(Berlin).  How  could  they  tell  that  I  was  not  Prince 
Schloucherambourki  ?  Doors  were  opened,  waiters 
bowed,  a  lackey,  half  bent  to  the  floor,  preceded 
"  mein  If  err  "  to  his  sleeping  apartment,  and  his  Se 
rene  Highness,  after  blandly  ordering  tea  in  French 
and  waving  blessings  from  his  delicate  and  per 
fumed  fingers  to  the  obsequious  menials,  prepared 
to  retire.  He,  it  is  true,  had  by  that  time  arrived  at 
such  a  pitch  of  delicate  sensibility,  owing  to  the  ex 
treme  tenderness  of  all  who  surrounded  him,  that  he 
was  quite  sure  that  he  should  feel  the  wrong  twist 
of  every  feather  in  his  bed  upon  which  he  was  des 
tined  to  lay  his  wearied  limbs.  But  Heavens,  what  is 
this  ?  Is  he  to  be  left  to  sleep  between  two  feather 
beds  ?  Is  it  literally  so,  then,  that  in  Germany  men 
sleep  between  feather  beds  ?  The  prince  had  heard 
of  such  things,  but  they  were  a  myth  and  therefore 
unintelligible ;  nay,  wholly  improbable.  In  fact,  he 
had  thought  it  all  a  lie.  But,  sure  enough,  here 
was  one  feather  bed,  with  soft,  luxurious  pillow, 
and  only  one  large  billowy  gathering  of  the  lightest 
and  softest  eiderdown  as  the  sole  covering  !  !  Now  I 
fear  that  even  her  Serene  Highness,  the  Princess 
Schloucherambourki,  who,  I  remember,  always  de 
sired  more  clothing  than  her  august  spouse,  —  even 


312  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

that  most  excellent  lady  would  have  been  startled  ; 
but  the  sight  was  nothing  to  the  feeling !  The 
prince  quickly  disrobed  himself.  It  is  his  peculiarity 
always  to  do  so  ;  he  never  allows  his  attendant  to 
aid  him  on  such  occasions.  He  sank  deeply  into 
the  nice,  warm,  soft  couch  and  then  took  hold  of  the 
supposed  heavy  feather  bed  that  was  to  be  his  cover 
ing.  It  yielded  not  like  a  feather,  but  with  the 
ethereal  lightness  of  gossamer  it  fell  gently  down  on 
all  his  graceful  limbs  and  stalwart  figure,  even  insinu 
ating  itself  amid  his  venerable  beard.  For  a  moment 
it  was  Elysium,  and  amid  soft  and  heavenly  visions 
of  warmth  he  fell  asleep.  But  what  is  this?  About 
midnight,  as  he  judges,  and  in  total  darkness,  he 
awakes,  sweating  at  every  pore.  Has  he  got  a  fever  ? 
Is  he  destined  to  leave  his  bones  in  a  foreign  land  ? 
What  is  the  matter?  Being  somewhat  medically 
inclined,  he  revolves  a  variety  of  diseases  in  order 
to  decide  what  is  the  matter.  It  is  vain  !  He  moves 
his  limbs  (the  prince  never  says  "  legs  "),  trying  to 
find  a  cooler  place.  He  thinks  himself  in  purgatory, 
for  the  cool  place  becomes  instantly  warm.  He  at 
length  decides  that  it  is  a  genuine  attack  of  the 
feather  bed  fever,  a  disease  very  prevalent  among 
strangers  on  their  first  arrival.  He  had  two  distinct 
paroxysms,  one  on  two  successive  nights.  It  was  in 
vain  that  he  attempted  to  push  the  feathers  into  one 
side  of  the  coverlid ;  they  would  float  back  again 
upon  his  devoted  body.  On  the  third  night,  the 
prince  desired  the  attendant  to  give  him  a  covering 
suited  to  his  Anglo-Saxon  propensities,  for  although 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  313 

he  has  a  Kussian  name,  he  was  born  in  Yankee 
land.  Now  what  a  fool  I  am  to  write  all  this  to 
bother  you  to  read  it !  ... 

DRESDEN,  April  22,  1859. 

Having  seen  the  review  long  enough,  we  went  to 
the  hospital.  I  introduced  myself.  I  thought  the 
attendant  young  men  might  have  been  a  little  more 
graceful.  Polite  enough  they  were,  but  they  allowed 
me  to  stand.  They  were,  it  is  true,  doing  the  same 
thing.  Dr.  Traube,  the  successor  of  Schoenlein  (I 
think  Ellis  will  recognize  the  name),  arrived.  He 
stands  very  high  in  pulmonary  complaints.  I  had 
long  chats  with  him.  Told  him  of  the  Camman 
stethoscope,  which  he  desired  to  see  and  hear  about. 
He  also  was  interested  in  the  trocar  for  tapping  the 
chest.  Passing  one  case  he  remarked  as  follows : 
"  It  is  remarkable,  doctor,  how  many  of  these  cases 
of  rupture  of  the  appendix  cceci  we  have  at  Dresden. 
They  are  marked  with  very  distinct  signs :  pain  and 
local  inflammatory  signs  near  the  csecal  region, 
suddenly  occurring  in  perfect  health,  and  finally,  if 
they  get  well,  as  they  usually  do,  a  discharge  of 
purulent  matter  from  rectum."  He  had  at  least  three 
a  year  for  the  past  ten  years.  Thirty  cases  had 
occurred  during  that  period.  He  also  said  that 
consumption  was  very  rife  there,  and  a  vast  deal 
of  pneumonia. 

•         «•••««•• 

Later  he  writes  of  his  experience  in  Vienna,  and,  in 
enlarging  somewhat  upon  the  discourtesy  shown  him  by 
two  of  the  medical  men  there,  says : — 


314  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

MUNICH,  May  30, 1859. 

's  treatment  of  me  (and 's  was  the  same) 

was  as  follows :  He  did  not  take  the  least  notice 
of  the  fact  of  our  introduction  ;  did  not  even  deign 
to  look  at  me,  much  less  to  smile,  but  quietly  and 
doggedly  walked  away  !  !  What  think  you  of  that 
for  a  German  professor  ?  What  a  difference  from 
a  Frenchman.  How  little  do  we  appreciate  the  little 
acts  of  courtesy  until  we  find  some  brute  who  cares 

nothing  for  them.  However, is  prone  in  his 

deportment,  and  there  let  him  lie.  But  I  shall  mourn 
when  Oppolzer  falls  because,  though  both  may  be 

learned,  Oppolzer  appeals  to  my  heart ;  but , 

the  famous !  I  ought  not  to  be  so  severe  on 

him,  for  he  stood  doggedly  through  a  long-winded 
article  which  drove  many  away,  and  all  apparently 
to  hear  me  and  see  the  instruments.  Nevertheless, 
he  is  without  a  spark  of  real  mannerly  courtesy 
about  him.  I  thought  Dr.  J.  B.  S.  Jackson  was 
rather  severe,  but  he  was  right  when  he  described 

as  a  smoking,  beer-drinking  German.  I  do 

not  know  his  capabilities  in  these  respects,  but  any 
man  who  will  actually  turn  away,  even  if  a  dwarf 
hideous  as  Quasimodo  is  introduced  to  him,  is  a 
brute.  You  cannot  make  more  or  less  than  that. 
Of  course  I  never  entered  his  room  but  once  in 
Vienna.  .  .  . 

Having  said  thus  much  of  these  two  great  men, 
let  me  gratefully  and  affectionately  turn  to  one  who 
has  long  been  the  able  and  admired  assistant  of 
and  who  has  an  unbounded  admiration  for 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  315 

his  master,  and  thinks  his  views  are  correct  and  the 
only  ones  that  can  be  correct.  I  mean  the  whole- 
souled,  kind-hearted  Drasche,  who  with  words  that 
burn  would  fain  compel  his  hearers  to  believe  what 
he  believes  to  be  the  exact  truth.  This  young  phy 
sician,  who  is  destined  to  high  dignity,  I  know,  in 
our  profession,  should  he  live,  I  found  could  not 
understand  a  word  I  said,  or  almost  but  a  single 
word ;  nevertheless,  by  means  of  a  young  Bavarian 
who  had  studied  English  a  very  little  and  spoke 
as  badly,  almost,  as  I  did  German,  we  contrived  to 
have  a  very  valuable  course  of  two  weeks  of  lessons 
on  all  the  topics  of  auscultation.  At  the  end  of  the 
course  we  were  very  good  friends.  The  only  trouble 
I  had  was  a  ludicrous  one.  I  have  noticed  it  in  one 
or  two  others  who,  finding  I  did  not  exactly  under 
stand,,  seemed  to  think  me  deaf  in  my  old  age  and 
so,  therefore,  roared  in  my  ears  their  Viennese  dia 
lect.  I  have  learned  enough  of  German  to  see  that 
the  people  of  Vienna  do  not  speak  purely.  I  can 
understand  almost  everything  said  clearly  in  pure 
German,  but  the  patois  is  like  Greek.  Enough  of 
Drasche.  .  .  .  Rokitanski,  the  most  learned  man  in 
the  world  for  pathological  anatomy,  I  listened  to  once 
only.  I  understood  not  a  word.  He  had  a  few  very 
interested  students ;  more  than  a  few  were  reading 
books  directly  in  front  of  him.  His  manner  is  very 
dry.  He  has  the  appearance,  as  I  told ,  of  hav 
ing  lived  in  a  dissecting-room  and  growing  old  there ; 
the  fire  of  youth  is  dying  out.  Nevertheless,  he  has 
the  true  working  head  of  a  German,  —  a  more  learned 


316  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

head  than  any  I  have  seen,  —  a  head  to  be  looked  at ; 
a  massive  skull  with  a  quiet,  dull  eye,  but  indicating 
solid  strength  of  intellect. 

I  continue  my  Vienna  professors  and  finish  them 
with  Klob.  He  is  a  young  man  of  the  highest  pro 
mise,  the  assistant  of  Rokitanski.  He  is  the  Ellis  of 
Vienna ;  that  says  all.  He  has  a  fine  countenance, 
a  clear  intellect,  I  suspect  a  kind  heart,  gentle, 
manly  deportment ;  and  when  he  speaks  on  his  speci 
mens,  he  is  prompt,  clear,  and  precise,  and  commands 
silence  in  any  society  at  which  he  may  be  present. 
There  is,  in  fact,  the  most  full  parallel  between  him 
and  Kokitanski  and  that  between  Ellis  and  Jack 
son,  and  you  might  say  the  two  older  ones  were  as 
fair  counterparts  of  each  other  as  their  younger 
assistants  mutually  correspond  in  qualities  that  com 
mand  respect,  and  that,  too,  apparently  with  a  total 
unconsciousness  and  simplicity  of  deportment  truly 
admirable  on  the  part  of  both.  There,  now,  you 
have  Klob  in  your  mind's  eye  ! 

And  now  for  the  whole  effect  of  my  visit  to 
Vienna  (I  have  not  yet  done  with  it  in  other  respects, 
but  I  want  to  finish  chiefly  my  medical  notes  on  the 
place).  It  has  been  more  than  I  expected.  I  feel 
myself  more  the  man  than  I  did  before  going.  I  have 
grown  a  foot  taller.  I  have  learned  much,  not, 
perhaps  in  particular  facts  as  in  more  enlightened 
general  views  of  some  points  about  which  I  knew 
little  or  nothing  before.  It  has  brought  me  in 
contact  with  men,  and  I  have  measured  myself  by 
them,  and  it  does  one  good  so  to  do.  I  have  golden 


;  TRIP  TO  EUROPE  317 

memories  of  noble  minds  and  kind  hearts  where  only 
before  I  had  merely  scientific  abstract  notions  of 
certain  medical  writers,  so  that  I  shall  never  regret 
my  visit  to  this  place.  The  cheats  will  disappear 
swiftly  from  my  thoughts,  or  they  will  recur  only 
for  a  moment  from  time  to  time  to  excite  disgust 
and  to  warn  me  to  avoid  the  shoals  of  meanness  on 
which  the  wretches  are  stranded. 

He  then  describes  a  visit  in  Geneva  to  his  former  inti 
mate  friends  during  student  life  in  Paris. 

LYONS,  June  4,  1859. 

I  am  here  after  a  pleasant  railroad  trip  from 
Geneva.  My  visit  there  was  delightful.  Maunoir 
and  Bizot  both  recognized  me.  Bizot  and  I  invol 
untarily  kissed  each  other.  Maunoir  is  in  full 
practice  and  has  a  sweet  American  wife  with  three 
children.  His  first  wife  was,  or  had,  I  judge,  a 
magnificent  intellect  and  finely  cultivated.  She  was 
the  intimate  and  dear  friend  of  Marshal  Viallant's 
wife.  Bizot  is  immensely  rich  (by  marriage)  and 
had  to  give  up  medicine  to  attend  to  his  numerous 
estates.  One  of  the  most  lovely  estates  near  Geneva 
and  overlooking  the  city  is  his  usual  residence,  but  he 
has  several  country  places ;  among  others,  one  that 
has  the  ruins  of  a  robber  castle  on  it.  They  were 
both  very  kind  to  me.  I  dined  at  Maunoir' s  with 
several  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and  got  along  well 
enough  with  French  when  it  was  needed,  but  almost  all 
spoke  English,  learned  at  a  Swiss  pension.  Maunoir 
walked  home  with  me,  and  I  parted  from  them  with 


318  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

much  regret,  hoping,  however,  that  some  time  I  should 
be  able  to  present  to  them  your  own  sweet  self  when 
we  visit  Switzerland  together.  Oh,  I  should  so  love 
to  do  that  one  thing,  —  to  go  into  Chamounix  and 
see  with  you  the  wonders  of  the  Alps.  I  am  still 
very  well,  and  blue  only  at  times  when  I  think  of 
your  being  at  home  while  I  am  playing. 

After  a  short  visit  in  Spain,  my  father  went  to  Paris, 
and  while  there  revisited  the  scenes  of  his  student  life. 

HOTEL  DE  L'ODEON  !  !    PLACE  DE  L'ODEON, 
PARIS,  June  3, 1859. 

I  left  the  Perrys  on  Wednesday  evening  and  came 
by  express  day  and  night.  Save  about  three  hours 
in  bed  at  Bayonne,  I  was  nearly  three  nights  and  two 
whole  days  in  a  dirty  Spanish  diligence  imperial ! 
Fortunately  I  met  an  excellent  friend  in  a  major 
domo  of  a  marquis  who  was  traveling  in  the  same 
diligence.  He  spoke  French  and  English,  and  really 
took  to  me  and  ordered  around  the  servants  on  my 
account  in  the  most  savage  way.  I  could  tell  any 
number  of  droll  and  distressing  (hot  and  dusty  as  it 
was)  events  of  our  journey,  but  suffice  it  to  say  I 
arrived  here  at  nine  A.  M.  Found  my  old  gargon, 
John,  who  remembered  me  well,  and  am  now  en 
sconced  for  five  or  six  days.  But  the  pearl  of  the 
day  was  my  early  ramble  to  "  No.  1  bis."  1  I  walked 
from  the  Station  House  Cafe,  where  I  stopped  tem 
porarily,  and  by  the  side  of  the  Jar  din  des  Plants 
came  in  sight  of  the  old  gate  —  you  remember  it, 

1  The  pension  in  Rue  d'Aubenton,  where  he  first  met  my  mother. 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  319 

don't  you  ?  —  with  the  identical  old  concierge  within 
the  railing.  I  came  to  the  corner  of  La  Pitie.  Was 
rejoiced  to  see  that  the  hand  of  man  had  not  mate 
rially  changed  things,  but  I  did  not  remember  the 
high  wall  (old  as  any  near).  Still  it  all  looked  as 
of  old,  and  above,  by  the  right  side  of  the  gateway 
was  "  1  bis.79  How  my  heart  leaped  as  I  rang  the 
bell !  .  .  .  A  young  girl  came  to  the  gate.  I  ob 
served  others,  and  soon  a  very  benevolent-looking 
aged  woman  came.  I  told  her  I  had  just  arrived;  I 
was  an  American ;  that  in  that  house  I  had,  twenty- 
five  years  before,  spent  one  of  the  happiest  years  of 
my  life,  and  asked  if  she  would  allow  me  to  look  into 
the  place.  "  Ah/'  I  exclaimed,  "  I  remember  the 
dear  old  path,  the  front  door,  and  the  green  plants ! " 
She  seemed  to  enter  fully  into  my  heart  and  asked 
me  cordially  to  come  in.  ...  I  approached  the 
door.  The  house  seemed  larger  than  formerly,  but 
the  lady  said  it  had  not  been  altered.  I  asked  her  if 
I  might  see  three  rooms  in  it  —  of  course  you  know 
what  I  went  to  see.  .  .  .  Your  room  is  now  used 
as  a  working-room  of  the  establishment.  I  send  in 
this  letter  a  few  threads  taken  from  a  ball  I  found  on 
the  table.  I  went  into  my  old  room.  It  had  been 
altered,  I  presume.  I  looked  down  into  the  yard 
on  the  same  view  we  saw  there.  In  imagination  I 
saw  the  strange  but  pretty  English  girl  coming  up 
the  path  with  her  proud-looking  companion.  I 
wondered  what  could  induce  the  two  to  be  in  that 
strange  place.  ...  I  descended  to  the  salle  a  manger, 
looked  at  the  very  spot,  it  seemed  to  me,  where  we 


320  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

used  to  sit  side  by  side.  ...  I  brought  up  again 
your  aunt  and  the  company  assembled  there.  Did  I 
not  think,  too,  of  those  sweet  little  billets  doux  slipped 
from  hand  to  hand  under  the  table  ?  How  I  should 
like  to  look  at  those  notes  now !  They  are  gone. 
What  a  loss  to  the  human  race !  !  I  remember  sev 
eral  figures,  but  not  their  names.  Madame  Geroux 
I  asked  about,  but  nobody  knew  about  her.  Every 
body  had  passed  away.  I  shall  still  try  to  find  them 
out.  I  begged  the  lady  to  excuse  me  for  thus  trou 
bling  her,  but  explained  that  I  had  a  sweet  wife  — 
an  English  wife  —  whom  I  had  gained  there,  and 
that  we  both  had  sweet  souvenirs  of  this  spot.  She 
entered  cordially  into  my  feelings  and  allowed  me 
to  pluck  a  bouquet  of  flowers  for  you.  I  shall  send 
some  of  them  to  you  in  this  letter.  ... 

LONDON,  July  13,  1859. 

On  the  Friday  before  leaving  Paris,  I  visited  again 
Madame  Laplace,  wife  of  the  great  Laplace.  I  told 
you,  I  believe,  of  her  kind  reception  of  me  at  first 
and  of  the  dinner  at  her  house.  I  had  partially  pro 
mised  to  dine  again,  but,  being  unable  to  do  so,  I 
called.  She  received  me  in  a  manner  truly  delight 
ful.  If  I  had  been  her  son,  she  could  not  have  been 
more  pleasant.  She  was  unwilling  to  let  me  go ;  she 
sent  a  shawl  to  Livy  and  a  pleasant  note  to  her,  and 
assured  me  that,  if  Nat  should  ever  visit  Paris,  she 
would  treat  him  as  one  of  her  own  children  ;  that 
she  felt,  and  she  thought  we  ought  to  feel,  as  if  our 
families  were  united,  etc. 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  321 

Now  you  may  think  that  these  were  merely  the 
flatteries  of  a  French  lady  ;  I  think  not.  She  is  past 
ninety  years  of  age.  She  is  as  bright  as  Aunt  Eliza 
(Ingersoll) ;  that  is,  she  has  ten  times  more  life  about 
her  than  the  majority  of  human  beings  would  have 
at  her  age.  I  could  not  get  away.  She  talked  of 
her  husband,  of  the  delightful  days  of  their  married 
life,  and  I  seemed  a  link  of  the  chain  that  carried 
back  her  fond  memories  of  the  past.  She  also  wrote 
on  her  note  sending  Livy's  shawl  how  much  plea 
sure  our  renewed  acquaintance  gave  her.  On  my 
parting,  she  asked  me  to  kiss  her.  The  censorious 
may  smile  at  the  old  fellow  of  fifty  being  asked  to 
kiss  the  marchioness  of  ninety.  It  was  the  simple 
expression  of  her  regard  for  the  son  of  one  who  had, 
as  she  said,  so  magnificently  illustrated  her  husband's 
immortal  work.  I  took  leave  of  her,  however,  with 
the  assurance  that  I  would  write  to  her  from  London 
and  America.  .  .  . 

KESWICK,  Sunday,  July  17. 

I  am  alone  as  I  write  to  you  about  my  charming 
visit  of  five  minutes  to  Miss  Martineau.  This  morn 
ing  I  addressed  a  note  inclosing  a  card  and  stating 
that  I  could  not  pass  by  without  at  least  an  effort  on 
my  part  to  see  her,  but  that,  if  her  health  did  not 
allow  of  her  receiving  my  call,  she  should  simply 
leave  my  note  unanswered  and  I  should  proceed  this 
afternoon  to  Rydal.  In  five  minutes  I  received  a 
very  cordial  note  from  her  niece  stating  that  her 
aunt,  though  very  feeble,  would  be  "  most  happy  to 
see  me  for  a  few  minutes."  She  usually,  as  I  am 


322  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

told,  declines  all  calls.  About  ten  I  strolled  through 
the  village  towards  its  outskirts  by  the  side  of  pretty 
cottages  of  stone  slate,  most  of  them  surrounded  by 
shrubbery  and  overrun  with  woodbine  and  ivy.  I 
found  the  entrance  to  "  The  Knoll "  was  through  a 
short  curving  graveled  road,  shut  in  on  each  side 
by  thick  shrubbery  and  numerous  cultivated  flow 
ers.  At  the  end  of  this  I  came  upon  a  smooth 
level  large  enough  for  a  coach  to  turn  and  overlook 
ing  a  beautiful  sylvan  scene.  "Fox  How,"  Dr. 
Arnold's  place,  is  in  the  distance,  embosomed  in 
trees. 

Though  somewhat  older,  Miss  Martineau  has  the 
same  beautiful  smile  and  bright,  intellectual  eye  as 
formerly;  the  same  old  ear  trumpet;  nay,  she  has 
the  large  open-mouthed  tin  tube  instead  of  the  elas 
tic  tube.  She  has  organic  disease  of  the  heart,  and 
does  not  move  from  her  house  and  has  not  done  so 
for  four  years,  but  she  still  is  continually  writing, 
and  even  on  subjects  which  are  statesmanly ;  for 
example,  leaders  in  the  London  papers,  a  work  on 
the  English  Army.  She  says  she  must  give  up  such 
topics  hereafter,  they  distress  her  so  much ;  "  but," 
added  she,  "  there  are  thousands  of  pleasanter  sub 
jects  on  which  I  can  think  and  write  with  pleasure." 
She  talked  with  me  about  the  "  infamous  Louis 
Napoleon  ; "  says  the  Queen,  though  formerly  liking 
him,  now  hates  him ;  that  he  commenced  the  war  to 
overcome  [illegible]  and  that  now  Garibaldi  has  to 
lead  the  Italians  to  fight  again  for  their  lost  liberty. 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  323 

The  king  of  Sardinia  is  about  to  abdicate,  so  says 
our  friend.  I  listened  in  order  to  know  what  her 
views  were.  After  about  five  minutes'  talk  and  refer 
ence  to  my  own  journey,  and  the  pleasure  it  gave  me 
to  meet  her  again,  I  arose  and  took  my  leave  just  as 
her  niece  entered,  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  check 
ing  further  conversation.  We  parted  very  cordially ; 
she  thanking  me  for  remembering  her.  I  then  took 
a  stroll  with  her  niece  in  her  little  garden,  planned 
by  herself.  The  house  is  all  covered  with  flower 
ing  shrubs,  and  the  garden  has  many  pretty  flowers. 
From  her  window  she  can  look  over  to  "  Fox  How  " 
and  opposite  mountains.  Her  niece  says  that  she  has 
never  lost  a  friend  in  consequence  of  her  atheistic 
views,  though  some  cowardly  person  held  herself 
aloof  for  some  time.  She  still  holds  to  the  same 
views,  that  is,  as  I  think,  of  the  entire  annihilation 
so  far  as  the  person  is  concerned.  "  Dust  we  are,  to 
dust  we  return,"  is  interpreted  literally  by  her.  I 
cannot  think  that  she  is  right.  God  never  made 
such  souls  as  even  her  own  for  mere  annihilation ; 
and  if  He  made  them  for  that,  while  implanting  in 
us  the  hope  of  a  future,  He  is  a  monster  and  not 
a  Father.  Now  this  is  a  view  of  God  I  get  neither 
from  my  own  consciousness  nor  from  the  external 
world.  One  cannot  help  admiring  the  bravery  of  a 
spirit  that  does  avow  such  a  doctrine  in  the  teeth 
of  a  superstitious  world. 

I  have  thus  given  you  a  brief   account  of  iny 
visit. 


324  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

KESWICK,  July  18,  1859. 

The  anniversary  of  our  marriage  day  was  kept 
most  delightfully  by  visits  to  Miss  Martineau  (as  I 
have  already  told  you  in  my  last)  and  to  Rydal 
Mount,  the  scene  of  Wordsworth's  labors  and  of 
nearly  his  whole  life.  Mary  and  dear  Livy  went  to 
church  at  Ambleside  ;  and  having  taken  an  early  din 
ner,  we  took  a  carriage  for  Keswick,  with  the  under 
standing  that  we  were  to  be  allowed  as  much  time 
as  we  chose  to  see  everything  of  interest  on  our  route. 
The  day  was  lovely,  though  rather  warm  at  first,  but 
soon  the  sun  became  obscured  by  light  clouds.  Ar 
rived  at  Rydal,  we  passed  a  small  road  by  the  side 
of  the  noble  estate  of  the  unhappy  misanthrope, 

Lady  F ,  the   owner   of  the   estate    on   which 

Wordsworth  lived  so  long.  The  time  for  afternoon 
services  had  not  yet  arrived  when  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  dear  little,  quiet,  infinitely  small  church  where 
Wordsworth  attended.  I  wanted  to  hear  the  services 
there.  It  is  situated  on  a  little  knoll,  prettily  planted 
with  trees  in  the  background,  but  the  wild  rocks  are 
allowed  to  crop  out  here  and  there  as  nature  made 
them,  only  the  hand  of  man  has  evidently  spread,  as 
if  by  accident,  the  appropriate  wild  flower.  I  sat 
down  in  a  little  quiet  nook  where  the  shrubs  over 
shadowed  me.  Mary  and  "  Le  "  preferred  the  hot 
church.  I  preferred,  until  services  fairly  commenced, 
to  hold  my  evening  hymn  with  the  quiet  tranquiliz- 
ing  beauty  I  saw  around  me.  I  sat  listening  to  the 
buzzing  of  flies  that  alone  was  heard.  They  rather 
harmonized  with  the  influences  of  the  place.  The 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  325 

church  is  of  the  simplest  kind  and  very  small.  A 
little  belfry  with  a  tiny  bell  surmounts  it.  One  door, 
one  aisle,  and  only  six  windows  are  its  complement. 
The  windows  are  diamond  shaped,  a  few  panes  tinted 
with  yellow  and  purple.  The  whole  interior  corre 
sponds  with  the  exterior,  plainly  painted,  chestnut- 
colored  pews,  and  altar  of  the  smallest  and  plainest 
kind. 

I  met  an  old  servant,  and  he  told  me  about  Words 
worth  :  that  he  was  a  kind  man,  with  love  for  all 
and  wishing  to  be  at  peace  with  all ;  a  kind  neigh 
bor  and  master.  His  pew  was  directly  under  the 
pulpit,  a  larger  and  more  commodious  one  than  the 
little  slips  which  was  the  form  of  all  the  rest.  He 
offered  to  put  me  into  it,  but  I  shrunk  from  so  con 
spicuous  a  position.  There,  near  us,  was  a  rough, 
coarse,  farmer-looking  face,  and  his  sermon,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  I  was  oblivious  of.  The  prayers  were 
well  read  by  one  who  subsequently  told  me  that  he, 
too,  was  a  pilgrim  to  the  shrine  of  Wordsworth, 
although  I  do  not  believe  (from  his  manner  after 
church  at  the  visit  to  the  house)  that  he  was  capable 
of  understanding  or  appreciating  the  writings  of 
such  a  man.  He  read  the  evening  service,  however, 
pleasantly  and  profitably  to  me.  It  was  one  of  those 
pleasant,  thoughtful,  quiet  hours  that  seem  to  give 
repose  to  the  anxious  soul  in  this  world's  pilgrimage. 
The  clerk,  with  sonorous  voice  and  gray  locks,  re 
sponded  as  I  imagine  the  clerks  in  olden  times  did, 
and  thereby  "  magnified  their  office,"  seeming  to  be 
half  priest,  half  layman.  He  gave  out  the  hymns. 


326  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

One  of  them  was  to  an  old  familiar  air,  and  the  last 
was  the  evening  hymn  of  praise  to  God  and  prayer 
to  forgive  all  the  misdeeds  of  the  day.  You  can 
imagine  how  delightful  was  the  influence  upon  me. 
I  could  see  the  venerable  face  of  the  poet,  philoso- 
pher,  and  friend  still  present  near  the  sacred  desk, 
and  to  my  mind's  ear  his  responses  arose  as  distinct 
as  my  own.  As  I  told  the  old  servant,  Wordsworth, 
by  his  writings,  had  been  to  me  "  one  of  the  best 
friends  of  my  life ;"  and  it  was  true,  for  I  never  have 
read  and  never  shall  read  him  without  gaining,  from 
his  mild,  genial  philosophy,  especially  as  brought  out 
in  his  "  Excursion,"  "  a  peace  of  mind  that  passeth 
all  understanding." 

Having  listened  to  the  service  (there  were  perhaps 
about  forty  present ;  I  doubt  whether  one  hundred 
and  fifty  could  squeeze  into  the  place),  I  determined 
to  try  and  see  his  house.  I  found  James,  his  old 
gardener,  who  had  resided  with  him  thirty-seven 
years !  He  was  really  charming.  There  was  an  air 
of  quiet  respectable  dignity  about  him  far  above  his 
station.  He  evidently  reflected  his  master's  influ 
ence.  He  was  dressed  in  simple  black,  and  his  sad, 
rather  intellectual  but  deferential  countenance  won 
me  entirely.  I  told  him  of  my  desire  to  see  the 
memorial  of  Wordsworth.  He  said  that  he  could 

do  nothing.    Since  the  widow  died,  Lady  F had 

taken  possession  and  would  allow  no  visitors  whatso 
ever.  He  found  I  was  in  love  with  his  former  mas 
ter,  and  said  that  he  would  go  home  and  get  some 
anemone  seeds  that  he  had  gathered  from  the  gar- 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  327 

den,  and  perhaps  I  would  like  them.  I  told  him 
how  much  pleasure  they  would  give  me,  and  we 
parted.  Nothing  daunted,  I  determined  to  see  Lady 

F .     I  accordingly  walked  up  the  passageway  to 

her  ladyship's  abode,  and  appealed  to  the  old  domes 
tic  whom  I  had  first  seen  at  the  church.  He  in  an 
undertone,  as  if  afraid  to  talk  aloud,  assured  me  he 
dared  not  ask,  and  that  he  really  thought  it  would 
be  useless.  Finally  the  lady's  maid  came  by,  and  I 
appealed  to  her,  told  her  who  I  was, — that  I  was  an 
American  who  had  known  Wordsworth  by  his  writ 
ings  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  that  I  was  going  to 
Keswick  and  should  never  return,— and  I  asked  her 
to  tell  her  mistress  this  much.  She  said  she  would, 
and  in  about  ten  minutes  returned  with  a  message 
that  I  might  consider  that  the  lady  paid  me  a  great 
compliment.  She  would  allow  me  as  a  special  favor 
to  go  into  the  grounds.  Of  course  I  was  rejoiced,, 
We  passed  through  the  quiet-looking  old  wooden 
gate,  and  walked  up  a  short  passageway,  just  wide 
enough  for  a  carriage,  each  side  thickly  embowered 
in  shrubs,  and  came  upon  the  small  open  space  in 
front  of  the  house.  There  were  the  marks  of  reno 
vation  going  on.  The  windows  were  broken,  and 
there  was  lime  and  new  house-paper  in  bits  on  the 
steps.  The  noble  old  fuchsias  hung  wildly  out  by 
the  side  of  the  little  porch,  evidently  [illegible] 
and  uncared  for.  The  sweet  ivy  was  climbing,  in 
its  wild  luxuriance,  over  to  the  chamber  windows, 
with  its  tiny  diamond  panes,  where  the  faithful  pair, 
the  poet  and  his  Mary,  had  lived  and  loved  and 


328  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

died.  It  was  a  nook  just  fitted  for  a  poet  to 
dwell  in. 

Our  old  servant  led  me  to  the  open  spot  arranged 
by  Wordsworth,  and  where  he  often  walked,  whence 
he  had  a  glorious  prospect  of  Windermere  Lake  and 
the  distant  hills,  at  least  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  off, 
while  beetling  out  directly  in  front  at  his  right  was 
a  noble-looking  precipitous  crag.  On  the  left,  too, 
was  a  grand  sweep  of  hills.  Between  the  two,  lay 
spread  out  numerous  pretty  slate-built  cottages  of 
quiet  hue,  but  covered  with  vines,  and  the  village 
of  Ambleside,  with  its  pretty  spire  rising  a  little  far 
ther  off. 

I  wish  I  could  give  you  even  the  faintest  idea  of 
the  combined  grandeur  and  loveliness  of  the  spot. 
I  sat  on  one  of  the  little  old  blocks  of  wood,  seem 
ing  trunks  of  small  trees,  where  perhaps  Southey, 
Hartley  Coleridge,  Christopher  North,  Tennyson, 
etc.,  had  often  sat  with  the  master  of  the  house  to 
enjoy  at  evening  or  at  noonday  the  magnificent  view. 
I  plucked  a  bit  of  ivy  for  Ned  and  Vin,  and  fol 
lowed  our  guide  back  to  the  house,  and  to  a  longer 
walk  leading  to  a  bower  of  sylvan  structure  lined 
with  cones  of  pine.  Here,  it  is  said,  the  poet  used 
to  walk  when  engaged  in  poetic  thought,  and  from 
the  arbor  he  could  look  down  upon  the  sweet  little 
Rydal  Lake  with  its  heron  isle,  and  surrounded  by 
mountains.  Retracing  our  steps,  we  prepared  to 
enter  the  house.  The  old  mosaic  pavement  with  the 
hospitable  "  SALVE  "  still  is  there.  Under  a  little 
lattice  overrun  with  roses,  we  entered  the  low-studded 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  329 

rooms.  The  house  is  capacious,  antique,  low,  with 
rafters  I  could  touch.  I  sought  the  bedroom  where 
the  faithful  couple  died.  Two  pretty  little  cottage 
windows  gave  it  light,  and  from  one  of  them  the 
poet  must  have  each  morning  and  evening  looked 
on  the  loveliness  of  Windermere  and  grandeur  of 
Lough. 

I  learned  that  James  had  left  for  me  what  I 
supposed  to  be  merely  a  parcel  of  seeds.  To  my 
amazement,  with  the  anemone  seeds  I  found  a  pretty 
paper  knife  of  wood,  evidently,  as  I  supposed,  made 
from  wood  from  Wordsworth's  estate.  Was  he  not 
kind  ?  And  why  did  he  give  me  those  things  ? 
Because  the  love  of  his  master  drew  us  together. 
A  curious  and  beautiful  incident,  and  showing 
how  love  is  the  golden  charm  that  binds  all  hu 
manity. 

Getting  again  into  our  carriage,  we  drove  by 
Rydal  near  Rydal  River ;  saw  Marstone  cottage, 
where  Hartley  Coleridge  and  De  Quincey  formerly 
resided.  It  is  a  pretty  little  slate  cottage,  overrun, 
as  all  of  them  are,  with  green  vines,  and  close  upon 
the  roadside.  We  not  long  afterwards  arrived  at 
Grasmere,  and  saw  the  plain  one-story  white  cottage 
where  first  Wordsworth  brought  home  his  Mary. 
Somewhere  he  has  a  sonnet,  or  lines  addressed,  I 
think,  to  this  very  spot,  as  he  was  quitting  it  pre 
viously  to  bringing  home  her  who  was  so  long  and 
dearly  loved.  .  .  .  Truly  this  kke  district  of 
England  is  charming. 


330  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

EDINBURGH,  July  30, 1859. 

I  called  on  A.  K.  Johnston,  the  map-maker  and 
engraver,  to  show  my  map.1  He  is  the  only  one  who 
has  attempted  a  similar  investigation  of  the  world. 
He  was  deeply  interested,  but  said  I  had  opened  a 
new  path.  (Louis  also  said  the  same,  and  compli 
mented  me  very  sweetly,  which,  perhaps,  I  forgot  to 
tell  you.)  At  one,  I  returned  to  dine  at  our  lodg 
ings,  and  afterwards  we  took  a  carriage  and  drove  to 
the  castle. 


GLASGOW,  August  4,  1859. 

Breakfasted  with  Dr.  Gairdner,  and  afterwards 
visited  the  hospital  with  him.  He  asked  my  advice 
about  tapping  three  patients ;  said  my  statements 
modified  his  views.  He  also  taught  me  many  things 
of  interest.  He  had  made  one  of  my  thoracentesis 
instruments,  and  we  parted  as  great  friends.  He 
has  a  fine  head,  and  has  sent  through  me  to  Dr. 
Jackson  a  fine  likeness,  which  he  thinks  much  bet 
ter  than  that  previously  sent.  Please  mention  this 
to  Dr.  Jackson,  and  say  how  much  delighted  I  was 
with  his  young  friend.  He  is  about  thirty-three  to 
thirty-five,  full  of  generous  enthusiasm,  has  a  fine 
keen  intellect,  and  the  highest  morals. 

DUBLIN,  August  9, 1859. 

Having  written  you  a  little  note  in  which  I  have 

given  you  my  inmost  thoughts  and  hopes,  I  now 

1  A  map  showing  the  distribution  of  consumption  in  Massachusetts. 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  331 

tranquilly,  or  at  least  as  tranquilly  as  I  can,  resume 
my  journal. 

I  said  that  Livy  would  tell  you  about  our  delight 
ful  visit  to  Professor  Nichol.  I  must,  however,  re 
fer  to  it.  Professor  Nichol  told  us  several  anecdotes 
of  De  Quincey,  who,  being  invited  to  spend  a  few 
days,  remained  on  one  occasion  three  months,  and 
at  the  end  of  that  time  the  annual  cleaning  came  on 
and  all  fled  !  Professor  Nicholas  first  introduction 
was  as  follows :  Being  in  Edinburgh,  he  said  to  a 
large  publisher  that  he  would  like  to  see  De  Quin 
cey.  The  reply  was  that  the  author  had  been  invited, 
with  several  literary  friends,  to  dine  at  the  publish 
er's,  and  that  Professor  Nichol  should  come.  Din 
ner  time  arrived  and  no  De  Quincey.  "  Well,"  said 
the  publisher,  "  we  will  begin,  because  there  is  no 
saying  when  he  will  arrive,  even  if  he  comes  at  all." 
When  dinner  was  far  advanced,  the  bell  rang  and  a 
little,  dried-up,  parchment-skinned-face  old  gentle 
man  was  ushered  in,  bowing  and  bending  with  ut 
most  politeness  ;  but  he  was  dressed  in  a  most  filthy 
and  torn  coat  and  shabby  pants,  and  altogether  was 
the  most  curious  object  Professor  Nichol  had  ever 
seen.  The  object  soon  found  his  appropriate  place, 
and  although  at  first  almost  disgusting  from  this 
want  of  neatness  and  his  extraordinary  visage,  in 
less  than  ten  minutes  everybody  was  charmed  with 
his  gentlemanly  demeanor  and  the  exquisite  tone 
and  character  of  his  conversation.  Dinner  wore  on 
with  increasing  delight,  and  finally  the  party  arose. 
De  Quincey  and  the  professor  were  somewhat  sepa- 


332  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

rated  from  each  other,  -when  suddenly  he  found  the 
queer  little  figure  by  his  side,  and,  looking  up  into 
his  face  with  a  most  singular  expression,  said,  with 
a  peculiar  voice  as  he  extended  his  hand,  "  Professor 
Nichol,  can  you  lend  me  a  twopence  ? "  "  Two 
pence,  my  dear  sir,  what  do  you  want  that  for  ?  I 
will  lend  you  anything,  but  why  do  you  want  so 
small  a  sum  ?  "  "  My  dear  sir,"  he  replied,  "  unfor 
tunately  I  came  away  from  my  lodgings  without  any 
laudanum,  and  I  want  very  much  to  step  out  and  get 
twopence  worth  of  laudanum.  I  have  left  my  purse 
at  home."  "  I  will  go  and  get  some  for  you,"  re 
plied  Professor  Nichol ;  "  it  is  too  late  for  you  to 
start."  So  the  professor  left  the  company  (it  was 
late),  and  after  waking  up  an  apothecary,  procured 
the  drug  and  returned.  The  poor  victim  of  opium 
eating  seized  the  bottle  with  avidity  and  swallowed 
the  contents  !  During  De  Quincey's  stay  at  Profes 
sor  Nichol's  he  took  a  pint  of  laudanum  daily ! 
Only  think  of  it ! 

He  has  gradually  become  desperately  emaciated, 
and  his  head  looks  like  a  skull  without  any  fat, 
but  merely  a  shriveled  parchment  over  it  stretched 
tightly  —  all  the  aspect  of  the  opium  eater.  About 
three  years  ago,  finding  that  opium  was  killing  him, 
he  determined  again  to  give  up  the  use  of  it.  Ima 
gine  the  horror  of  the  fact  staring  before  him  that 
he  must  give  up  this  delicious  draught  which  he  had 
been  using  for  so  many  years.  He  was  over  seventy 
years  old.  Nevertheless  he  did  omit  it  wholly  and 
suddenly,  and  became  immediately  a  victim  to  the 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  333 

most  horrible  nervous  trouble  and  distressing  pains 
all  over  his  body,  which  he  overcame  only  by  means 
of  long  and  fatiguing  walks.  It  was  truly  pitiable 
to  see  the  old  man  walking  and  walking,  when  it 
seemed  as  if  his  legs  would  hardly  support  him. 
This  was  continued  for  about  two  years,  I  think,  and 
finally  the  pains  subsided;  but  the  fine  ethereally 
toned  mind  sank,  and  there  was  a  prospect  of  entire 
mental  annihilation  and  imbecility.  Again  his  phy 
sician  advised  recourse  to  laudanum  in  smaU  quan 
tities,  and  he  now  takes  it  moderately.  Professor 
Nichol  says  he  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  of  men  in 
conversation,  but  that  formerly  when  visiting  at  any 
one's  house  he  would  drink  laudanum  all  day  and 
never  arise  to  take  food.  Professor  Nichol  gave  me 
a  ludicrous  account  of  a  transcendental  merchant  of 
Manchester  having  invited  him  by  letter  to  visit 
him.  Personally  they  were  unacquainted.  One  day 
a  little  dried-up  old  man,  with  a  crushed  and  dusty 
hat  and  slovenly  dressed  throughout,  appeared  at 
his  counting-room  and  asked  for  him.  He  intro 
duced  himself  as  Mr.  De  Quincey.  He  was  shocked, 
but  of  course  offered  him  his  arm  to  walk  to  the 
station.  His  friends  were  amused  and  astounded  to 
see  him  going  with  such  a  looking  character,  but  De 
Quincey 's  polished  manners  were  those  of  a  perfect 
gentleman,  and  his  delightful  conversation  soon  won 
all  at  home.  On  retiring  for  the  night  the  merchant 
said,  "  Well,  Mr.  De  Quincey,  I  am  obliged  to  break 
fast  at  eight  and  a  half ;  you  may  have  breakfast 
when  you  like."  "  My  dear  sir,  let  me  not  trouble  you. 


334  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

Please  call  me  at  eight;  I  will  breakfast  with  you." 
At  eight  the  servant  knocked.  "  It  is  eight  o'clock, 
sir."  "  Oh,  thank  you ;  please  hand  me  that  bot 
tle."  He  took  a  dose.  Eight  and  a  half  came  ;  no 
Mr,  De  Quincey.  Again  the  master  sent  the  servant, 
who  met  with  the  same  response  :  "  Oh,  thank  you ; 
have  the  kindness  to  give  me  that  bottle."  And 
again  he  relapsed.  And  so  it  went  on  through  the 
day,  several  doses  being  taken  as  each  person  en 
tered  the  room.  But  I  must  leave  De  Quincey  and 
go  to  other  things. 

On  the  morning  after  arrival,  we  took  a  drive  to 
see  the  museum  of  William  Hunter.  It  gave  me  a 
vastly  greater  idea  of  his  power  than  I  had  ever  had 
before.  I  could  not  but  think  that  if  it  had  been 
placed  in  London  it  would  necessarily  have  been 
much  augmented,  as  his  great  namesake  in  the  me 
tropolis.  It  was  not  confined  by  any  means  to  mor 
bid  anatomy,  but  some  of  the  finest  works  of  art  he 
evidently  had  appreciated.  A  library  of  fine  old 
works,  paintings  some  of  which  were  excellent,  and 
all  superior  to  the  common  run  of  modern  things. 

SALISBURY,  August  18, 1859. 

This  is  a  place  associated  in  my  mind  with  my 
earliest  days  with  my  sainted,  excellent  mother. 
Holy  woman  that  she  was,  she  desired  to  lead  us  all 
in  the  right  way,  and  the  "  Shepherd  of  Salisbury 
Plain  "  was  one  of  the  little  tracts  that  she  put  into 
my  hand.  I  have  no  recollection  of  him  save  that 
he  was  a  poor,  excellent,  and  pious  man,  living  upon 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  335 

hard  fare,  and  yet  looking  up  always  with  a  pious 
trust  in  the  Father  of  all.  I  imagine  him  now,  per 
haps  incorrectly,  but  the  general  impressions  are  as 
I  have  sketched  him.  How  delightfully  now  return 
to  me  all  the  scenes  of  my  most  happy  youth  ! 
Again  on  a  Sabbath  afternoon  I  sit  by  my  mother's 
knee  and  lean  my  head  upon  it,  and  try  to  sit  demure 
while  she  or  Nat  or  Ingersoll  read  aloud  from  the 
Bible.  I  remember,  if  the  truth  be  told,  with  much 
keener  delight  the  glorious  romping  time  that  we 
boys  used  always  to  have  immediately  after  reading 
and  repeating  our  prayers  and  the  creed.  Peace  to 
the  ashes  of  her  who  gave  me  my  happy  life ! 

My  father  returned  from  Europe  in  the  early  autumn 
of  1859,  and  several  weeks  later  removed  to  his  new  house 
opposite  Arlington  Street  on  Boylstou  Street. 

In  his  reminiscences,  Dr.  Thayer  writes  as  follows :  — - 
"  At  the  close  of  1859  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bowditch  removed 
to  the  house  they  had  built,  No.  113  Boylston  Street 
[afterwards  No.  324],  which  soon  came  to  have  the  home 
look  of  the  Otis  Place  house.  The  valuable  library,  largely 
mathematical,  of  Dr.  Nathaniel  Bowditch,  his  children 
gave  to  the  Boston  Public  Library.  Here  they  passed  the 
remainder  of  their  lives  —  thirty-two  years  in  the  doctor's 
case.  At  this  time  his  great  investigation  of  the  relation 
of  soil  moisture  to  tubercular  consumption,  upon  which  he 
had  been  working  for  a  number  of  years,  was  about  com 
plete,  and  it  was  finally  published  in  1862." 

TO   DR.    THAYER. 

BOSTON,  January  6,  1860. 

MY  DEAR  DOCTOR,  —  Many  thanks  for  your  kind 
letter  of  the  1st.  I  will  be  glad  to  aid  you  in  all 


336  HENRY  INGERSOLL  BOWDITCH 

your  plans.  The  horizon  is  bright,  and  I  trust  you 
will  have  no  very  dark  cloud  in  the  future.  If  in 
trust  and  hope  we  energetically  work  on  our  way, 
God  eventually  gives  success  to  every  human  soul. 
It  may  not  always  be  in  the  precise  way  we  have 
marked  out  for  ourselves,  but  nevertheless  it  comes ; 
so  I  bid  you  Godspeed,  and  hold  it  for  certain  that 
wherever  and  whenever  I  can  speak  a  good  word 
for  Henry  and  Ellen  Thayer,  that  good  word  will 
be  heartily  spoken.  I  rejoice  with  you,  my  dear 
doctor,  that  you  are  again  enrolled  in  the  list  of 
teachers.  It  is  a  sacred  office  which  we  both  hold. 
It  seemed  almost  too  much  for  me  to  bear  when  I 
commenced.  My  real  deeds  were  so  wretched  in  com 
parison  with  my  ideal.  I  seemed  so  very  ignorant 
that  I  could  not  bear  it.  I  chafed  and  fretted  like 
a  wild  unrestrained  horse,  and  almost  swore  aloud 
that  I  would  resign.  But  as  I  become  acquainted 
with  the  faces  of  my  180  and  learn  to  love  them 
all  more  or  less,  and  as  I  feel  that  they  understand 
me  a  little  better,  I  pace  along  quite  gently  and  at 
times  feel  almost  self-complacent.  Do  you  under 
stand  all  this,  my  youngster  ? 

In  regard  to  thoracentesis  (tapping  the  chest),  — 
go  it,  doctor  !  There  is  no  need  of  an  expensive 
apparatus.  Have  a  simple  stop-cock  fitted  to  any 
breast-pump  that  has  a  syringe.  In  case  of  neces 
sity  I  should  use  one  of  the  gum-elastic  syringes. 

Give  my  love  to  dear  Ellen.  What  blessings  these 
wives  !  Olivia,  with  Vin,  leaves  on  Wednesday  next 
in  the  Canada.  .  .  .  She  goes  as  my  representative, 


TRIP  TO  EUROPE  337 

and  I  stay  to  keep  the  pot  boiling.  We  have  just 
flitted  to  our  new  house  —  not  yet  nestled  there, 
however. 

P.  S.  Do  you  think  that  the  New  Hampshire 
Society  would  like  to  have  me  show  my  map  on  con 
sumption  at  the  annual  meeting  ?  If  so,  perhaps  I 
would  do  so,  provided  I  could  have  half  or  three 
quarters  of  an  hour  and  people  would  not  be  bored. 

His  allusion  to  teaching  refers  to  the  fact  of  his  appoint 
ment  as  Jackson  Professor  of  Clinical  Medicine  at  the 
Harvard  Medical  School  in  1859,  a  position  which  he  held 
until  1867,  when  he  resigned  owing  to  the  pressure  of  other 
duties. 


END   OF  VOLUME  I. 


flfte  fttoetffoe 

Electrotype*  and  printed  by  H.  O.  Houghton  &*  Co. 
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Bowditch,  V.Y.  B77 

Life  and  correspondence   B7 
of  Henry  Ingersoll  Bow-    v.l 
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